Harry Potter and the orb of the Phoenix
by chr
Summary: Year 5 - This covers almost all the genres of the books. But please ignore mistakes in the first few chapters. The fic gets better later. It was that this is my first ever story written in english except for what i had to do for school. Happy Reading!
1. Unexpected events

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORB OF PHOENIX  
  
-1. Unexpected Events  
  
-2. Arabella Figg  
  
-3. The Portal  
  
-4. Destruction  
  
-5. Dirty Play  
  
-6. The Mystery  
  
-7. The First Step  
  
-8. Erised  
  
-9. The Connection  
  
-10. Through The Walls  
  
-11. Necklace Of The Dragonteeth  
  
-12. An Unusual Night  
  
-13. Invisibility Problems  
  
-14. One Last Chance  
  
-15. Alone  
  
-16. Mage Vipers  
  
-17. Removal  
  
-18. Relief  
  
Chapter 1: UNEXPECTED EVENTS  
  
[A/N: If you see mistakes, please ignore them. They will be corrected later, both grammer, spelling and sentence mistakes(look at one of my reviews and see.]  
  
[so let's continue...]  
  
This fic is ancient. The other fic of mine(Harry potter and the shadow of darkness, just clink on my username) is a lot better. I didn't write in english that well when i started this fic. But i got used to it :) This becomes better after chapters 5 or 6. The first ones are just a bit... strange. Later it's better.  
  
Harry Potter was in his summer holiday, between years 4 and 5, at the Dursleys, a place where he hated to live, because they were Muggles (non-magic people) and they really hated magic. They treated Harry as an animal. Even thought this year it was a great progress, it was still worse than it was at Hogwarts. They allowed him to do much more things than last year, maybe because they were quite scared of Sirius Black, who they knew as a murderer(but there were a few people who knew that he was innocent). The diet Dudley, the Dursley's son, had, had at last had some effect: Dudley was not as fat as before (but still very fat). Dudley's parents kept giving him very little quantities of food. But, unlike last year, Harry did not have any food from his friends. He could remember how Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Hagrid gave him cakes when he told them that he was starving. He had to do it this year, too, because, even if the Dursleys didn't starve him, they didn't give him much food either and he was used to eat a lot from Hogwarts.  
  
Now, Harry was allowed to take his magical things in his room, and he could write his homework at daytime, without having to hide his things from the Dursleys. He really enjoyed that, doing homework on nighttime was very boring and he was too tired to do that in those moments.  
  
It only was the beginning of the holiday. Harry decided to send a letter to Ron, saying that the Dursleys were keeping him starved. He tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and sent it. Hedwig had just disappeared from sight and there came another owl that brought another letter. Judging by the way if flew, it had to be Errol, the old Weasley family's owl Harry wondered why they didn't send the letter with Pig, Ron's owl. He allowed Errol to stay in Hedwig's cage, and it surely had to rest a few days there. The message tied to Errol's leg read:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I tried to convince mum to write to Dumbledore to ask when you can come to our house. And mum said that Dumbledore told her to take you only after a month. I am really sorry but that is all I could do.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Ron  
  
Hmm, Harry thought. He didn't think of going to Ron's yet. But this letter made him sadder then before. He continued writing one of his essays. But why didn't Dumbledore allow him to go to the Weasleys?  
  
After about two weeks the way of living improved. Harry had something to eat with the help of Ron and Hermione. He started to make laugh of Dudley as the last year, saying that he ate a lot and was full. Dudley just kept giving him some strange looks.  
  
And one night after, he had another dream about Voldemort. Harry was in a room. It was dark, because it was night. There was a man sleeping in a corner. A door opened with a slight sound and the man in bed woke up. He was certainly a wizard because he took his wand and -  
  
"Sleep well" a cold voice said. The man said something, pointed his wand at Voldemort, who stopped the spell saying "Deffendo!". Then -  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" the cold voice said and there was a burst of green light from the wand. Next moment the man was dead. Harry could see Voldemort exiting from the room with a cold laugh and then he instantly woke up.  
  
His scar was burning. He couldn't feel any part of his body at all because of the pain. After the burning passed, he could think about what happened.  
  
This dream was clearer than any dream about Voldemort he ever had. He could remember this a lot better, and knew that his dreams like this were all true, from the previous year. Someone had been murdered. He knew that he had to write a letter to Dumbledore. But when he wanted to wake up, he couldn't. He realized he was all drained. He felt like he had no power to stand up. He looked at the clock in the room - it was 4 o'clock in the morning. He tried then to rest. But he couldn't sleep. He was thinking about the dream. Had Voldemort started killing people like he killed before his first downfall?  
  
Thoughts were moving within his mind. He thought and hoped it was not as bad as it looked. Then, after about two hours, he fell asleep again. He woke up at 11:26 in the morning. Some of the draining passed, but he still wasn't fully recovered. He walked to his table and took a parchment, writing to Dumbledore that he had a dream. He explained it very detailed. Then he said about being so drained after the dream.  
  
Hedwig flew to him, as if she read his thoughts. Harry told her:  
  
"To Dumbledore. Go fast, it's urgent". Hedwig flew away. It looked like Hedwig knew the danger and flew faster than usual.  
  
He didn't have any dream in the following week, but he still thought about it. After three days, Hedwig returned. She looked really slow. She entered the window and stopped on Harry's hand, which took the letter. He realized that Hedwig had some feathers taken off - it looked like someone tried to stop her from taking the letter. Then, still worried about Hedwig and forgetting about the dream, he read:  
  
"Dear Harry,  
  
This dream of yours WAS real. We heard that a wizard from the ministry had been killed definitely with the Avada Kedavra curse in his own ministry office. But this is not as bad as the other things that happened.  
  
I was right when I said that Voldemort would collect the dementors and giants and take them to his side. With the giants we were lucky. I sent Hagrid with Madame Maxime to try and have them at our side.  
  
But we could not do anything against the dementors. Mr. Cornelius Fudge did not agree to dismiss them from Azkaban. But now he regrets it. All the dementors have joined Lord Voldemort. His most faithful servants from Azkaban were released. They are all on his side again.  
  
As for you being drained, I have no idea, but I am working on it.  
  
Best wishes,  
  
Professor Albus Dumbledore"  
  
Harry looked shocked after reading the letter. The Dementors have joined Lord Voldemort. And they were the creatures Harry feared most. He was scared of them more than of Voldemort himself. And every moment he could run into one. Even with a patronus, he was not completely sure he could escape one.  
  
Days passed very fast, Harry couldn't remember what happened because he couldn't stop thinking about the threat that Voldemort caused. He, Harry Potter, was in real danger. The only thing he could remember was that he got a letter from Dumbledore, saying:  
  
"Dear Harry,  
  
Stay this summer at the Dursleys because it won't be good at all if you go anywhere else.  
  
Albus Dumbledore"  
  
Harry did not understand what Dumbledore meant with this, but as the life with the Dursleys was not so bad as before so he could live with them. He now had what to eat, with the help of his friends of course. He could now do his homework at any time of the day. But he still couldn't get out of the house.  
  
Later, Harry received the letter from professor McGonagall saying what he had to buy for the fifth term. He just realized that he was at the middle of the summer, and that it was his birthday. After some minutes, pigwidgeon came through the window. It had a birthday letter from Ron. And later on that day, he received the letters from Hermione, Sirius and Hagrid. Hagrid's had a bunch of sweets he knew. There were some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate frogs and some others. This day he cheered up a bit, answering to all the letters.  
  
The Dursleys completely forgot about his birthday exactly as they forgot the last ones. Harry thought of reminding them, but this year life was better and he decided not to make it worse. And after some days, he had another dream about Voldemort. But this dream wasn't as clear as the previous one. He couldn't see where the murder had taken place. He saw Voldemort from a high place. Voldemort walked straight to a red thing like a portal. Harry just read about portals two days ago in an old book.  
  
Voldemort walked to the portal and the light entered into him. Then he turned back to see that about 10 wizards went to kill him. All of them had their wands pulled out.  
  
"Voldemort", one of them said.  
  
"Aurors!" Voldemort answered. "You think you can hunt me down? Just try it!" The aurors all shot one spell towards Voldemort. Voldemort said "Inelus Frostus!" and a light blue ring shot from him in all directions. The aurors' spell hit Voldemort-  
  
Harry woke up with a very strong pain in his scar. After the pain in the scar passed, he seemed like all his bones were broken. He thought Dudley tried to punch him while he was sleeping. When he wanted to write again to Dumbledore, he felt it again. He could barely move. The dream drained him again, but this time he was in pain. He really felt like he was dying. He fell asleep again without even thinking at anything.  
  
Next day he didn't feel well. He sent a letter to Dumbledore. The food from his friends had been eaten. Then after one day, Dumbledore's answer came. This time it was a lot faster than before, because Hedwig wasn't caught by anyone. Harry took Dumbledore's letter, and read:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
This is not good news at all. All aurors escaped alive, and they said they shot Curundulus charms to Voldemort, that causes the same pain you felt. I think the best thing is to come to Hogwarts in the holiday. Here we have Madam Pomfrey that can take care of you if something worse happens.  
  
I will come to take you myself. See you,  
  
Albus Dumbledore.  
  
Going to Hogwarts wasn't a bad thing. It was better than staying at the Dursleys. At least there he had what to eat. There he could practice spells and read from the library when he was bored. But there was only one thing. How would Dumbledore come to him?  
  
Another day passed. He felt rested. He did not feel drained anymore, but he could feel the pain in his bones, even that just a little. Then, he saw someone apparating in his room. But it was strange. At first Harry thought is was Voldemort. Then he saw that it was Dumbledore. Harry thought that was only his imagination.  
  
"Hello Harry", Dumbledore said. "How are you?  
  
This wasn't the question Harry waited from Dumbledore. Then Harry pointed his wand at Dumbledore and muttered "Show yourself!". That would show the real person who was, even if disguised or modified with a polyjuice potion.  
  
"We have to go to Hogwarts, quick. But how could we?" Dumbledore asked again. Harry didn't say anything. "We cannot apparate because of two reasons: You do not know how and no one can apparate on Hogwarts grounds." Dumbledore took a look to see what was in the room. He then said "Harry, why don't you say anything?"  
  
Harry started to feel a slight pain in his scar. What could be? No, he won't tell Dumbledore this. Harry felt there was something strange going on. "Would you mind traveling by Floo Powder?" Dumbledore asked. Harry agreed. He hasn't thought of anything else to bring him to Hogwarts. Then Dumbledore took some powder and went to the main room in the Dursley's house.  
  
"Not more of your type!" Aunt Petunia screamed seeing them on the stairs.  
  
Dumbledore ignored her. He told Harry to do the same. Then he threw some powder into the burning fire. He entered the green fire and took Harry with him, and said: "The Riddle House!"  
  
No, it couldn't be, Harry thought. That certainly wasn't Dumbledore. But he used the showing spell on him! He remembered what the Riddle house was. It was the house where Voldemort lived with his parents.  
  
When they reached the destination, Harry saw that he wasn't near Dumbledore anymore. He was with Lord Voldemort. At the moment Harry seen him, a very strong pain entered in his scar. He took a look to see where he was. He was indeed at the Riddle House, the place in his first dream. They stayed in a quite small room with dark walls. And there were the Death Eaters. He had seen Wormtail and Nagini, a giant snake. Next to them was Lucius Malfoy. The rest of the Death Eaters were behind them. Most of them should have been in Azkaban. And there, he saw none other than Severus Snape, his potions teacher, who had hatred towards Harry.  
  
"This is, again, Harry Potter", Voldemort said. "I failed last time to prove that I am stronger than him. Now I will prove that Harry Potter cannot beat Lord Voldemort!" Voldemort looked at Harry. "Harry, are you ready for another duel?"  
  
Harry couldn't fight Voldemort. He simply couldn't. Harry knew lots of hexes from the last year, but those couldn't compare to what Voldemort used. Voldemort used the Unforgivable curses. He knew that from the last time they met. Voldemort used the Cruciatus curse, Imperius curse and even tried the Avada Kedavra. This time, no one could help Harry. He knew that those were his last moments of living...  
  
"Are you ready?" He asked again. Then seeing that Harry did not answer, he said: "Imperio!"  
  
Harry knew exactly now the Imperius curse felt like. Voldemort could completely control any person with it... But Harry was one of the few who could fight it... Then he heard the distant voice saying:  
  
"Say you're ready... Say you're ready..."  
  
"Why?" another voice in Harry's head answered.  
  
"SAY IT!"  
  
"no!"  
  
"SAY IT! NOW!"  
  
"I won't!"  
  
Then Voldemort removed the Imperius curse from Harry. Voldemort was angry, judging by the look of his face. He then said: "Harry, I know you are not a weak wizard. But you cannot be stronger than I am! Crucio!". Harry knew what would happen. He felt pain in all his body. When he couldn't resist the pain, Voldemort asked again: "Are you ready, Harry, for a duel?"  
  
Voldemort stopped the cruciatus curse. But this couldn't make Voldemort happy. He surely was angrier... and an angry Voldemort was not to joke with... then, he said: "Avada Ked-"  
  
"No you don't," said another cold voice, though not as cold as Voldemort's. Harry looked around to see who said that. And Voldemort answered that for him. "Severus... I knew that you would always be a traitor to me..."  
  
All death eaters were looking to Snape. And Harry took the occasion, and tried to make a spell he heard in one of his dreams... "Inelus Frostus!" he said in a low voice so no one heard him. But nothing happened. "Inelus frostus!" he said again. A small white sphere created at the back of his wand. Then, he tried to be more convincing:"INELUS FROSTUS!"  
  
Harry did it. A frozen circle grew bigger and bigger. It had frozen any Death Eaters there, the only ones who resisted the spell were Snape and Voldemort. "Brave of you, Harry" Voldemort said, taking Harry's wand from his hand and throwing it away speaking in an angry tone. Then Snape said "Expelliarmus!" and Voldemort's wand flew away. Harry knew that his own wand had a feather of the tail of the same phoenix as Voldemort's. That meant he could do well with Voldemort's wand as with his.  
  
Voldemort was almost burning with anger, but he managed to stay calm. "Severus, you will pay for that!" he said with a calm, cold voice. Harry jumped to catch Voldemort's wand... And while he touched it, he heard "Expelliarmus!" from another person. It was a familiar voice... And then he saw who said it. It was the real Dumbledore, who just stepped out of the fire and took Harry's wand.  
  
"Come, quick!" Dumbledore said throwing some floo powder into the fire. "Come fast!"  
  
Harry understood why Dumbledore wanted to come fast. The Death Eaters weren't frozen anymore. All three of them entered into the fire, and Dumbledore said: "The Three Broomsticks!". Harry did not understand. Why not at Hogwarts?  
  
When they reached the three broomsticks, Harry saw all the Hogwarts teachers there. Professor McGonagall was reading "Hogwarts, a History". Then he thought - maybe Hogwarts wasn't protected only anti-apparating. Maybe the Floo Powder was neutralized by Hogwarts magic as well.  
  
"Thanks god, you're alive!" professor McGonagall said. "I thought You-Know-Who caught you both!" she looked at Snape and Harry.  
  
"They're fine", Dumbledore said. After that, Harry, Snape and Dumbledore explained the situation.  
  
"It looks like Voldemort" Everyone sighed when he said the name "is trying to recreate his army of Death Eaters. This time, having the Dementors at their side, we will have a very small chance of victory."  
  
"You said something about Hagrid", Snape said.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore answered. "That will be of great help. Hagrid and Madame Maxime gathered what giants survived and put them on our side. You know, The giants are the only creatures the dementors are afraid of."  
  
They talked about their chances of defeating Voldemort. After that, they went straight to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was very busy, as he had to strengthen the magic defenses around the castle. He put a magic field in the air that stopped the dementors' draining powers.  
  
Harry mostly spent time in the library. It was boring anywhere else, because he was alone in the Gryffindor Tower. He had been practicing his spells, and he was learning new ones. Then he saw a book called "defense against advanced Dark Arts". This reminded him of the defense against the Dark Arts class. Who was the teacher?  
  
Then he heard footsteps. And two people were talking:  
  
"But how did he break it?" asked Dumbledore's voice.  
  
"I do not know. A charm like that..." answered professor Flitwick. "She did not betray him?"  
  
"I am sure she didn't." said Dumbledore.  
  
"But then, how?"  
  
"Harry! Had a nice day?" said Dumbledore.  
  
"Quite" Harry answered. He knew that whatever Dumbledore was talking about he did not want to tell Harry about it yet.  
  
Dumbledore took a book "Really Advanced Charms" and left. What they were talking about, Harry had no idea.  
  
The days passed quite quickly. After Dumbledore put back that book, Harry took it. He saw about twenty charms, but he knew only one: the Fidelius charm. But this could not be the one Dumbledore looked for. He knew from his third year that the Fidelius charm makes one person another's Secret-Keeper. Then he put the book back and read a book that he wanted to read: Hogwarts, A History. Now Hermione could not annoy him so much when talking about that book.  
  
Later Harry wanted to go to the restricted section of the library. But Madam Pince did not allow him at all.  
  
"No. No student enters the restricted section! I have told you a hundred times. No!"  
  
"Let him in", said Dumbledore, who just entered the room.  
  
"But professor Dumbledore -" she said.  
  
"Harry has the right to go into that section, if he wants to."  
  
"Thank you, professor" said Harry.  
  
This wasn't the first time Harry entered the Restricted Section. Once he entered with the invisibility cloak, and in the second year, Hermione had a dirty-earned signature from professor Lockhart. Harry looked at the titles, and chose a book "The Unforgivable Curses". He started reading about them, and at the Avada Kedavra section he even read his own name as the only survivor of the curse. He knew exactly how each of the other two felt like, because Voldemort used them both on Harry. And Mad-eye Moody, the last defense against the Dark Arts teacher, used the Imperius Curse on the students to show them how it feels like. Harry could almost fight that one.  
  
One night, about a week and a half before the term started, he had another dream about Lord Voldemort attacking someone.  
  
He entered a small house. There was a familiar man who stood up. "Voldemort!" he said.  
  
"Old Lupin... Tell me where Harry Potter is and you will remain alive!"  
  
"I would rather die than betraying Harry!" Lupin answered.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
But that wasn't Voldemort's cold voice. That was another familiar voice - and Harry could never forget it. That was Sirius Black's voice. The green light that came from a dark corner of the house advanced on Lord Voldemort and then - pop! He disapparated.  
  
Harry woke up with a start. His scar hurt a little, but there was no draining. Harry felt normal. He decided to go straight to Dumbledore and tell him about the dream, but he decided to sleep a little more hours. It was 4 a.m.  
  
That's what he had done later. He went to Dumbledore's office but -  
  
A stone gargoyle was standing in front of the door, moving only if someone says the password. Harry did not know it. He tried all the sweets' names this time but none of them worked. Then he said for himself: "Exactly when I have such informations about Voldemort..."  
  
The door opened. "Voldemort? What a password!" Harry entered the nice room and saw Dumbledore studying some books.  
  
"Harry! Good morning!" Dumbledore said.  
  
"Professor, I had another dream last night", Harry said very fast.  
  
"Take it slow, Harry! It is no reason to hurry." Harry explained the dream about Lupin and Sirius. Dumbledore wasn't surprised at all. "This was his obvious move", Dumbledore said. "Lupin knows that I brought you to Hogwarts. Now i should write a letter to Lupin and Sirius. I will think about this dream of yours. About this real thing."  
  
"And only one thing... You need some books for the new year. Don't worry, I will send someone to buy them for you. It is not a wise thing to go to the Diagon Alley yourself." And Dumbledore's tone marked the end of the discussion.  
  
Harry went to the library again. He now knew a way to resist the Avada Kedavra - to dodge it. The best was to disapparate. Voldemort knew that, because he did it in the dream Harry had. He really wanted to learn to apparate - he took a few books to read about it, to see the dangers and the reasons for them. Later, he went to lunch in the Great Hall. He quite liked it. Everyone ate at a single table so he could talk with the teachers. He noticed that last days professor Flitwick left the table after a minute or two. He was really in a hurry last days.  
  
All the other days were spent in the library. Harry read about some interesting curses, like the Harzet curse that created a body bind, but it was not like the Petrificus totalus spell. This curse created small wooden branches that tied up a body, and the caster could move both the person and the branches easily. That way anyone could immobilize a person and move it wherever he wanted.  
  
After three days, when he went to the Great Hall in the morning he saw some people who he had not expected to see... Lupin, Sirius, Dumbledore, two people who he did not know and...  
  
There was a woman who he hasn't seen for a long time, but that wasn't possible. It was Mrs. Figg, to whom he went every time the Dursleys went somewhere in the town. But what was she doing at Hogwarts?  
  
Harry stood there, thunderstruck. He did not move at all. Then -  
  
"Harry!" Sirius saw him. Harry did not say anything. He was still looking at Mrs. Figg. "That is Arabella Figg", Sirius told him.  
  
"But what is she doing here?" Harry asked surprisingly.  
  
"Arabella is a witch from our old crowd. We..."  
  
"I know her! I used to go to her when the Dursleys left the house! She can't be a witch!"  
  
"I am", Mrs. Figg answered. "I am a witch and I am the one to who you used to come when the Dursleys did not want you."  
  
"I mean - how can you be a witch?"  
  
"I am, understand it."  
  
"And", Dumbledore said," I think she will be your defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. This is Mundugus Fletcher, he used to work at the Ministry but he decided it was better to come here to help us", he said pointing to a small man," And this is Fred Thunder, an old friend. They will help us this year against Voldemort."  
  
They talked a bit, and then Harry went to the Gryffindor Common Room to try some of his new spells. He found his books on the table. He started reading them. 


	2. Arabella Figg

CHAPTER TWO : ARABELLA FIGG  
  
After a week of reading and talking with Sirius, the day when the Hogwarts Express arrived had come. At eight o'clock the Hogwarts Express arrived, and the school will be full of students again. But some hours before, professor Lupin came to him in the library.  
  
"Harry, I thought you'd be here. You know what Mrs. Figg gave me? She said she found this in her office." Lupin took an old parchment and gave it to Harry.  
  
It was the Marauder's map. Barty Crouch jr. took it to his office last year because the map showed his true identity. |He used a polyjuice Potion to transform himself into Mad-Eye Moody.  
  
"Be careful to not lose it again" Lupin told him. "I heard about the Triwizard Tournament last year, and I have to congratulate you for the good job you have done. As about your meeting with Voldemort... I have nothing to add."  
  
Lupin walked out of the library. Harry looked on the Marauder's Map. Hogwarts was so empty... No students, there were about 15 people in the castle.   
  
At 8 o'clock, he ran to the Great Hall and waited for the students to arrive. Some of the teachers were there, too.  
  
After half an hour, professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall. She opened the doors and said "The Hogwarts Express did not arrive! I sent Flitwick to find the train." Harry looked around. Flitwick was not there, but he certainly was there when Harry arrived.  
  
"What could have happened?" asked Dumbledore in an unusual voice.  
  
"We have no idea. We must have to wait until Flitwick returns."  
  
McGonagall walked to the staff table and started talking to the teachers. Harry could not hear them. After a quite long time, tiny old professor Flitwick arrived in the Great Hall. "Very bad news" he said. "Someone attacked the Hogwarts Express."  
  
"Oh my goodness" Harry heard from professor McGonagall. "By whom?"  
  
"No one knows, but it is confirmed that there were some dementors, too. Some said there were about five Death Eaters and five dementors. No one knows exactly. When I arrived there, they have deserted. Some children screaming, no one could control the situation. And I knew why I went there myself. I put a hover charm on the train. It will fly to the castle. We think no one died. I could not ask what happened. No one was in the mood to answer. We will ask them when they'll reach here."  
  
They waited. At half past ten, the Express arrived. The students entered the Great Hall. Harry had seen Ron and Hermione. They greeted each other. Harry told them what happened in the holiday. He told them about Lupin, Sirius and Mrs. Figg.  
  
After two minutes, the first years entered. They looked nervous. They had to be sorted. It was always the beginning of the year. Harry noticed there were not as many students as they were the last years. Maybe it had something to do with Voldemort. Parents could think that it was not safe to send their children to Hogwarts these days. And it has proven true, due to the incident with the Hogwarts Express.  
  
"What happened on the train?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione started explaining.  
"No one knows exactly but I think there were about ten Death Eaters, five on left and five on right of the train. Each one had a dementor near him. I wonder how was it possible that the dementors did not seem to affect the Death Eaters. I think the dementors weakened our minds, so we could not defend ourselves. Ten dementors affect you quite easy. Then the death eaters all tried to use a single spell. They created a barrier in front of the train. The train hit it and... Well it did not work anymore. There was a shock when the train hit the barrier. Everything shaken as if it was an earthquake. Lots of first years started screaming. We tried to calm them down, but it was impossible. Then the Death Eaters shot spells at us. The train windows were broken. Two compartments from the one we stayed exploded - we thought it was Fred and George again, but it was an exploding potion. All students in the room were hurt. Then we saw the Death Eaters run away, with the Dementors by their side. The train was lifted up...we thought it was going to blow. But then it started moving. And we reached Hogwarts."  
  
"It was Flitwick the one who lifted you up." said Harry.  
  
"And Harry, your situation is very bad. It is worse than anyone thought." Hermione said.  
  
Then Harry explained them about the dreams he had. Hermione reacted as he thought. She took them worse than he did. Ron was still quiet. Then, he said "Harry! Hermione! The sorting is over!"  
  
"Welcome", Dumbledore said, "To another year at Hogwarts." It was very quiet next moment. "There are very important words to say. Voldemort had come to power again." The hall sighed. "We shall be careful, and I will assure that none of you will be in danger. I have strengthened the Hogwarts magic fields."  
  
"Second, I will remind anyone that the Dark Forest is forbidden to any student, and Hogsmeade is forbidden by any student less than third year."  
  
"Third, I will inform you that there will be a Quidditch season this year"  
  
Harry looked around the Great Hall. And he saw someone that he wished he had not seen. He had seen Cho Chang, a very pretty sixth year Ravenclaw girl who he liked, and that made him a bit sad. He saw that she was extremely sad, and Harry remembered that Cedric Diggory, her boyfriend, died two months ago, murdered by Voldemort.  
  
"Let the Feast begin!" he heard Dumbledore. The plates in front of them filled with food. After the Feast, they went to the Gryffindor common room. They soon went to sleep. Harry stayed in bed, thinking. He thought about Voldemort, but he remembered that he should be safe at Hogwarts. Then his mind flew to Cho. He did not think too much about it, and he fell asleep.  
  
Later they went to transfiguration. It became harder and harder. After the lesson, professor McGonagall called Harry to talk with her.  
  
"As Dumbledore said, there is a quidditch season this year." Harry didn't say anything. "And Oliver Wood is no longer in the team, because he finished Hogwarts two years ago. So Gryffindor will need another keeper, and we'll have to name a captain." Harry did not want to be Gryffindor captain, he knew what Wood did. He was spending loads of time in making plans. Then he had a bigger responsibility, He had to decide when the practices should be. It was very hard work to be a captain. "We cannot have another captain. You are the only one who is able to do it. The keeper will be in his first quidditch year, so he can't be captain. The Weasleys are not at all good for a thing like this. And they are in the seventh and last year. As for the three chaser girls, well they are in the last year, too. So we have to put you captain." Harry could not do it... What could he say to McGonagall?  
  
"I - I don't think I can d-do it..." said Harry.  
  
"Yes you can, Potter.", McGonagall answered in a severe voice. "You have a good mind, you can think of good tactics. And... Imagine it. It is not so hard."  
  
"And as for the keeper", she continued, "We will announce the Gryffindors that we look for a keeper. They will come, and you will decide who will be the best. I will tell them in person this evening."  
  
Harry did not think that these things would start so quick. The term had just started...  
  
After that Harry went to the Great hall. He stood on the chair between Ron and Hermione. He told them about what McGonagall said. Ron looked as if he wanted to be the keeper, but the excitement on his face disappeared. Maybe he figured out that he was not good for a keeper.  
  
Next, he had Potions, still with the Slytherins. Snape was still taking points from Gryffindor for every thing they done. The interesting thing was that Malfoy wasn't there... And Harry hadn't seen him in the Great Hall. Maybe he was not at Hogwarts anymore.  
  
Later, all the gryffindors were in the common room. The portrait swung open and professor McGonagall stepped in the room.  
  
"Silence! I have to announce that the gryffindor Quidditch team needs a Keeper. Anyone who thinks he could do it, go to Harry Potter. Tomorrow evening we will choose the Keeper from those who want. Potter, I have to talk to you a bit."  
  
Harry walked to the professor.  
  
"Being the new team captain, the candidates should present to you. You will write their name and year. They will have to come tomorrow at five o'clock on the Quidditch Field, where we will see how well they fly and how good they are. Remember to tell them what I said. And tell all the team to be there, too."  
  
Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait and left the common room. He stayed in the middle of the room. The candidates for the keeper post came to him. There were more than he thought. At least ten gryffindors offered to be keepers that day, and next day four more. At five o'clock, Harry and the rest of the team went to the quidditch field, accompanied by a few who wanted to be keepers. The others were already on the stadium. McGonagall arrived there a short time after them.  
  
It was a sunny day. McGonagall announced:  
  
"Harry Potter is the new Gryffindor captain. He and I will see how well anyone flies, and our chasers will try some goals to see how well he does it. We will start now.  
  
Harry and McGonagall watched how good they do the job. Two of them weren't solid enough. They could be knocked down anytime. And in several hours, they had seen all of them. They did some loops and tried to catch the quaffle, but most of them did not do such a good job. There were only two of them who flew really well and did the keeping job quite well. Harry decided that the two of them would come next day at the same time and the same place to decide which one will remain the keeper.  
  
Next day, in the morning, they had defense against the Dark Arts. Mrs. Figg was already in the classroom, waiting for them to come. When all of them found seats, she said:  
  
"I am Arabella Figg, and I will teach you this year defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Only this year?" Ron's voice could be heard. "Yes, only this year" Mrs. Figg answered.  
  
"I heard you covered creatures and curses. So, what remains to me is to teach you more than the other teachers did about both of them. And because of the circumstances, I will start with creatures. And the darkest creatures living may be the dementors. I haven't heard of any creature darker than this. They are evil, and no human likes them. As most of you know, especially Harry Potter, as he had big trouble with them, the dementors suck any happiness out of a human. They leave anyone filled with dark thoughts. Only with the worst experiences of their lives. They were the guards of Azkaban. That's why none of the prisoners escaped. No one except Sirius Black, who had proven to be innocent."  
  
All the class except Harry, Ron and Hermione started talking. No one believed this.  
  
"Yes", professor Figg continued, "Sirius Black WAS innocent. And the ones that cleared him are here, in the classroom. And after what they say, everything makes sense."  
  
All the class looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was obvious that they were the ones who said that Black was innocent.  
  
"I assure you", Figg continued, "That Black never did the murder he was imprisoned for. Even the Ministry accepted it, after they proved that Peter Pettigrew, the wizard they thought Black killed, was still alive. Pettigrew was the one who restored Voldemort to power." Harry was sure that she wouldn't say that the last year the defense against the dark arts teacher was the greatest supporter of Lord Voldemort.  
  
"They proved that Pettigrew was the murder, and that he did not die as everyone knew. But - wait a minute, here we are not talking the matter of Sirius Black." Mrs. Figg looked at some books on her desk.  
  
"I am teaching you about the dementors because we are in grave danger because of them. The worst thing is that they are not at Azkaban anymore. "The class looked curious. "They have joined Lord Voldemort."  
  
Harry knew this already. He was thinking that Mrs Figg did not say You-know-who to Voldemort. She was one of the few people who spoken his name.  
  
They had a lesson about dementors and their powers and weaknesses. The lesson was very interesting. Professor Figg was a good teacher, no doubt for that. The two last years, defense against the dark arts was one of the best subjects they had, and this year was the same.  
  
Later, Harry had to choose the keeper for the Gryffindor house. The two students were a fourth year and a sixth year. Professor McGonagall told the fourth year to show her all what he can do on a broom. Then, he was tested against buldgers. He was hit once in the chest, and he had to recover from the hit. That time they tested the sixth year. He was asked to do the same as the fourth year. He wasn't hit by the buldgers. They flew almost the same. Then, Harry and McGonagall decided the sixth year will be better for a keeper because he was more solid and even if he was hit by a buldger, he wasn't as hurt as the other one.  
  
Professor McGonagall told him that he was the Gryffindor Keeper. Then, he was called to them.  
  
"What is your name?" professor McGonagall asked.  
  
"Kevin Trevion", the sixth year answered.  
  
After this, professor McGonagall talked to him another half an hour, and after that, she asked Harry to think when they will do the practice. Harry still had no idea what plans to make, he was right. He was not good for a captain. He walked to the Gryffindor Tower, with Kevin. They talked on the way and Harry found out that he was a better chaser than keeper. They talked about the next year, when Fred, George, Angelina, Katie and Alicia weren't at Hogwarts anymore. They entered in the Gryffindor tower. There he met Ron and Hermione. Harry told them his problems about being a captain. Both Ron and Hermione tried to help him.  
  
"I can help you with some moves and plans", Ron said.  
  
"How?" Harry asked. "You have no idea how difficult it is"  
  
"Go to the library", Hermione suggested, "and look for a book about this. I know I've seen one about being a quidditch captain... I am sure it could be useful".  
  
Hermione's advice was a lot better. Harry wanted to go look for the book because that was his only chance. That evening, he went to the library. It took him one hour and a half to find it. The book was titled "Quidditch positions" and half of the book was about being a captain. It took all the possibilities: seeker captains, keeper captains, chaser captain and beater captains. Harry looked at the Seeker captains section, and started reading.  
  
It was past midnight when he read all the section, and he read it in a hurry. He took it to the common room, which was almost empty. He went to the bedroom. On the spiral staircase there was a black metal door blocking his way. He had never seen that door. He tried to push it, pull it, hit it, but he hadn't done anything. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and said: Alohomora!  
  
The door moved. But it did not open. It moved towards Harry, pulling him towards the common room. Harry jumped some stairs to reach the common room faster, but the door changed its speed.  
  
Reaching the common room, all the few students looked at him. Harry looked at the door that stopped at the entrance of the spiral staircase, so he couldn't enter the bedroom.  
  
"What's that?" he heard someone saying.  
  
"Dunno", Harry answered.  
  
"Go to professor McGonagall!" the same person said. Harry thought that was a good idea. He pulled the portrait, and he met the last person he wanted to meet in the night on the corridors, professor Snape.  
  
"Now what are you doing at this time running on the corridors?" he asked.  
  
"I-I-I need to see professor McGonagall" said Harry.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because something strange happened in the common room. It's urgent!" said Harry.  
  
"Fifteen points will be taken from Gryffindor!" Snape told him, "Five for running on the corridors and ten for being on the corridors at the midnight!"  
  
Harry did not say anything to defend himself. He knew that he could lose another fifty points from Gryffindor if he argued. He walked to professor McGonagall and he stopped frozen. What did she say if he entered her office like that? He stayed there thinking. After three minutes, professor McGonagall exited her office.  
  
"What do you think you're doing at this time on the corridors?" she asked angrily.  
  
"The common room" said Harry. "I cannot enter the bedroom, a black metal door appeared in the staircase"  
  
"How can that be?" McGonagall said. After that, she walked to the Gryffindor tower. When she entered, she saw the door but after a second it disappeared. McGonagall did not know what to believe after the look on her face. The other students in the common room told her what happened. She said "Call me if it happens again!" and she left. Harry went to bed. He slept well. He was quite tired.  
  
On Friday they had Care of Magical Creatures. He hadn't visited Hagrid yet, all the time he was at Hogwarts. They had the lesson with the Slytherins, who were already there. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked quiet. They had nothing to say.  
  
When they reached Hagrid's hut, they had seen one white, winged horse. At last, Hagrid brought something else than monsters. Everyone looked at the horse quite anxious to start the lesson. Hagrid wasn't there. The slytherins were not as insufferable as before. Malfoy wasn't there. Harry wondered why. He wanted one moment to ask where he is, but it was better this way - knowing that Malfoy was not there.  
  
They waited a short time, and then Hagrid opened the hut's door and stepped out. He saw Harry, Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hello!" He told them.  
  
"Hello Hagrid" they answered.  
  
"As yeh see, this term we will start with Pegasi. Dumbledore brought this Pegasus 'specially for the class. They're not easy to catch". The class listened to him. Even the slytherins looked interested. "The pegasi are some of the most interesting creatures, completely magical. They were once used as transport, but they did not like it too much. They hate evil wizards. They never let one of them touch them. If you've a bad intention, the Pegasus senses it. Come close to him." The Pegasus gave evil stares at the slytherins. It had surely sensed the bad intentions in them. "Slytherins, get back!" he said warningly.  
  
"Why should we?" a slytherin boy asked. He sounded just like Malfoy.  
  
"If you want to stay close to him, stay! It was just a warning!" Hagrid said in a quite angry voice. Most slytherins stepped back when he said that, but that boy who sounded like Malfoy stood on place, and another three slytherins who were near him.  
  
"The pegasi", he continued, changing the subject, he seemed to have noticed that if a slytherin was attacked he would be in trouble, "are as pure and innocent as the unicorns, but these are very rare." The Pegasus gave evil stares at those slytherins. "I am warning you again, step back or you will get back to the castle hurt!"  
  
The four slytherins stepped back at last. Hagrid continued his lesson about pegasi.  
  
"Now that I tol' yeh about them," Hagrid said after talking more, "I may show yeh how it is to fly on one of these. Does any student wan' to try? I will take measures so no one will get hurt."  
  
Harry did not know what to do. He wanted Hagrid's lessons to be good, knowing that may happen if they weren't. He half wanted to stay where he was safer, half wanted to help Hagrid. Then, when Harry did was thinking hard, he saw that Hermione walked to Hagrid. From anyone, he never expected her to try that.  
  
"Hermione, you want a try?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Yes", she answered in an unconfident voice.  
  
"It is not so difficult to fly on a Pegasus. You have to be good intended, and to be soft with it, because any thing done how it does not like will get you thrown down." Hagrid told her a few more things, and it was time Hermione tried it.  
  
Harry knew how she felt. He remembered when he first flew with a hippogriff. It was quite the same situation. She walked to the Pegasus, Hagrid was watching her. Harry thought that could not be Hermione. She never tried to be the first one to try things like this. But he saw her doing exactly what Hagrid said. She put her hands on the Pegasus's neck, and jumped softly on it.  
  
"Yeah, that's it, Hermione! Yeh did it! Now the res' is easy. Being magical, he senses when you really wan' to be lifted up. Jus' think about wanting to fly and you will do it." Hagrid looked quite joyful. The Pegasus started flying. It looked as it tried to make Hermione's "trip" as comfortable as possible. She looked quite scared at the beginning but her scared face turned into a quite pleased one.  
  
Hagrid shouted her what to do. She was quite high in the air, so if Hagrid said in a normal voice, he couldn't be heard. Hermione came down and the Pegasus landed softly.  
  
"Congratulations!" said Hagrid and all the Gryffindors started applauding. The slytherins were quiet, they looked insulted by Hagrid. But, Harry thought, Hagrid was right. If the slytherins haven't walked back, who knew what could happen.  
  
The class ended. Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to go to Hagrid and talk to him. He expected them to do so.  
  
"So how's life?" Hagrid asked. "Good flying, Hermione!"  
  
"Thanks Hag" she said. "I heard you spoken to the giants!"  
  
"Yes, but unfortunately we caused harm. Me an' Madame Maxime have tried to make 'em our allies, but... Not all of 'em agreed."  
  
"Not all of them?" Harry asked surprised. He thought the giants all came to their side. He noticed Hagrid was not happy anymore. He looked rather sad.  
  
"My mother tried to collect 'em and come to figh' against You-know-who... But most of 'em did not agree. They looked like they're Death Eaters! Some of them looked quite insulted when we tried to make 'em fight against You-Know-Who. An'... Those who wanted to fight against him started a kind of war with the ones who didn't. I couldn' stop them..." Harry noticed a few tears on Hagrid's face. He looked unpleased with himself for putting the giants into conflict.  
  
Harry wanted to tell him his worries. Like being the Gryffindor quidditch captain and about the black door. Then he realized he hadn't told Ron and Hermione about that. Hagrid was not in the mood for talking with him about his worries. Harry, Ron and Hermione bid him good-bye and left to the castle. On the way Harry told them about the black door, how he called professor McGonagall and how it vanished when she entered the common room.  
  
Harry and Ron were late in Divination. Professor Trelawney continued her work on crystal orbs. None of the students were good at it. Harry thought of leaving Divination lessons and move to Arithmancy - Hermione was making too much noise about it. Every time Rom complained about professor Trelawney she tried to make him take Arithmancy. But Harry decided to stay with Divination because it was not good to take a subject after missing two years from it. 


	3. The portal

CHAPTER THREE : THE PORTAL  
  
After lunch they went to Transfiguration. On their way, they met Cho and her friends. They were whispering things Harry could not hear. He saw that Cho was extremely sad. Harry tried to go closer to them to hear what they said. The only words that Harry caught were "Come on, Cho, you cannot bring him back to life. He is dead.", from one of her friends. Then they did not say anything else. When they started talking again, Ron interrupted Harry from listening.  
  
"What's that?" he asked. He pointed to a red smoke in front of the transfiguration class.  
  
"Looks like some smoke..." Hermione answered.  
  
The source of the smoke was a red circle-shaped thing. Harry recognized it. It was a portal. The only time he had seen one was in one of his dreams about Voldemort. He knew that portals were not only for transporting people from one place to another. Some portals could have special powers. Some could give a person some extra energy to help him to cast spells with increased effect. Some had healing powers. There even were portals which could kill you if you got close.  
  
Ron and Hermione stared at the portal still walking to the classroom. Harry stopped.  
  
"Harry, what exactly is that thing?" Ron asked again.  
  
"Stop." Harry told them. Then he thought for a moment. Ron and Hermione looked anxious to hear what he had to say; they surely figured out that Harry knew about them by the look on his face. "It is a portal..." said Harry.  
  
"A portal?" Hermione asked before Harry could even finish the sentence. "I have heard about them..."  
  
"I know exactly what they are. They can be created only with a very strong magic, but... No living person from our time has it... To do a portal you need a so strong magic that not even Dumbledore or Voldemort have. I have read that those strong wizards disappeared about three centuries ago."  
  
"But..." Hermione said, "There must be a wizard with great powers if someone conjured it!"  
  
Harry explained them what he read in "Ancient magic effects" about portals. Ron looked terrified when he told them they could kill. Hermione turned back and ran away.  
  
"Where are you going?" Harry asked. "We are supposed to be in transfiguration!"  
  
"To the library!" she answered and disappeared out of sight. It was unusual for Hermione to not go to a class. Harry and Ron did not move at all. Harry hoped it was not a killing one or a curse one, which could cast a random curse on someone.  
  
Ten minutes passed. All the students who had to go to transfiguration stood near the place Harry and Ron were. Hermione hadn't returned from the library yet. No one said anything. All were waiting to see what happened next. The entire hallway was filled with red smoke.  
  
They heard footsteps approaching. Someone was coming to them. Harry looked back. It was Dumbledore. He had a serious look; he did not look as he usually looked. He looked straight to the portal.  
  
All the students were looking at him now. Harry figured out that Dumbledore was how he never saw him before: scared.  
  
He got close to the portal and took his wand. Harry noticed that Dumbledore was muttering something. His wand pointed to the portal, and it created a jet of fire that hit the portal in the middle.  
  
The portal changed color to a dark blue. The smoke changed, too. A small lightning exited from the portal and hit Dumbledore's wand. Dumbledore stepped back. The lightning stopped.  
  
"Harry!" it was Hermione. "Oh..."  
  
The portal doubled its size. And they could hear a cold voice saying something that Harry did not recognize. The cold voice was not Voldemort's. Dumbledore starting talking to the portal.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked. He did not look scared anymore. "Talk to me!"  
  
The portal turned back to the normal size. Dumbledore shouted: "Zappus!" and a bolt of electricity shot out of his wand. It hit the portal, which started to reflect it. Even that the bolts did not reach him, Harry felt as he was put under high voltage. He closed his eyes. After a few seconds, the sound caused by Dumbledore's lightning bolt and the portal reflecting it disappeared. Even the high voltage disappeared. Harry opened his eyes.  
  
Dumbledore was nowhere in the hall. Everyone looked confused. The door to the transfiguration classroom opened and professor McGonagall appeared from it.  
  
"What happened?" she asked immediately.  
  
All the students started talking in the same time. No one heard anything except their own voice.  
  
"SILENCE!!!" she shouted at them. The hallway went quiet. "Enter the classroom!"  
  
All the students walked slowly to the classroom, where McGonagall was waiting for them on her seat. They all sit down, still very quiet. In the transfiguration lessons was usually quiet, but this time, it was even more. Every single student looked scared. Professor McGonagall did not say anything for a time, but then she decided it was better to speak.  
  
"Tell me what exactly happened in the corridor", she said. None of the students were likely to say anything. Harry tried to speak twice, but he stopped after his own word. He had no idea how to describe the events. Then he was confident on himself and tried at last...  
  
"It was a portal, professor. A red one was placed exactly in front of the entrance to the classroom." He paused after every two or three words, to think what to say next. "We waited for something to happen, and finally professor Dumbledore came... He shot some spells to it, he talked to it..." Harry stopped completely. He sit down. He had no words in his mind. He was thinking. Thinking about all the events that happened last time. First, Malfoy did not come to school. Second, a black metal door appeared, blocking his way to the bedroom. Then, a portal appeared in the school and that was the most surprising thing because there were no known wizards who could create one.  
  
McGonagall was quite scared. She told them, "Class dismissed" and she got out of the room.  
  
The other students stood up, and walked very slow to the gryffindor tower. None of them spoke. They had given the Fat Lady the password(StarCraft) and entered the tower. There was a complete quiet in the common room for several minutes. Then, Harry broke up the silence.  
  
"What could make it?" he asked.  
  
No one answered. He repeated the question, but with the same effect.  
  
"Oh come on, you won't stay all the day without saying anything!!!" he said, not being scared anymore. In fact, he felt quite normal. He went to the library to see the book he where read about portals...  
  
He ran on the corridors, Thankfully he did not meet Snape. He stepped into the library, where Madam Pince watched him to see what book he wanted. He knew what he was looking for - "Ancient magic effects". It took about ten minutes to find it. He took it and ran to the gryffindor common room. He told the fat lady the password and opened the book. It looked like no one spoken or moved all the time he was gone.  
  
He threw the book on a table and sit on his chair. The book was already opened, and Harry turned to a page, and read silent about portals. Then, he felt something strange again...  
  
The book had only a page about portals, and there were very few things explained. Harry knew about portals more than he read in the book. But how?  
  
He had never seen one. The only time he saw about them was in this book, in the holiday he spent at Hogwarts. But he knew more things about portals than he read.  
  
Everyone was quiet. Even Harry did not say anything. They stood there until some gryffindors second years entered the room. They looked quite confused. It was not a normal thing that the gryffindor fifth years stood quiet.  
  
The second years did not seem interested about the situation. Then, Harry looked at a clock and saw that they stood there for a hour. He stood up and exited the common room. He was going to Dumbledore.  
  
The time he reached the marble staircase that lead to Dumbledore's office looked like an hour. Then, he saw the gargoyle in front of the door.  
  
Harry knew, or he thought he did, the password.  
  
"Voldemort!" he said. The gargoyle moved from its place. The door to Dumbledore's office slid open. Dumbledore's office was empty. Harry looked in the room, and saw Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix. He looked quite cheerful. The last of their meeting was three months ago, when Harry told Dumbledore and Sirius what happened after he was transported to the graveyard where Voldemort re-came to power.  
  
Harry stood there some time, and the door slid open. It was... none other than Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic.  
  
"Harry!" he said. "Hello".  
  
"Good day!" he said.  
  
"I apologize for not believing your stories in your third and fourth years." Harry felt relieved. He was scared of Fudge, but now he seemed normal... whatever meant normal for Fudge. "But i can not understand how could it happen?"  
  
Harry stood quiet. He, in fact, wanted to speak to Dumbledore. But he wanted to ask a question, which he couldn't: why was Fudge here? Maybe he heard about the portal, but it was almost impossible. The portal appeared only an hour and a half ago.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Fudge asked Harry.  
  
"I need to speak -- with professor Dumbledore" Harry answered.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course. By the way, thank you, I did not know the password."  
  
Then, Harry understood why Dumbledore put that password. It was mainly because everyone feared saying the name, except a few people. And that made sure his office was protected.  
  
He stood quiet, until Fudge started talking again.  
  
"Was that true the fact that a door stopped you entering the bedroom?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It is a thing that no one could explain -- yet. We thought that it was created by you-know-who, but why would he do it with no purpose? So that theory went out. I am here to inspect the enchantments at this castle. It looks like something is wrong..."  
  
Harry was reminded about the door. He said in a hurry "I have to go, Minister." and ran out of the office. He looked quite like Hermione; he went to the library again. He wanted to search for a spell that could create the door. Then a thought came in his mind. There were many spells that could create a door. But not many so strong to penetrate the Hogwarts' magical fields. Or was Fudge right when he said that something was wrong with it?  
  
He reached the library. He asked Madam Pince, even thought he did not think he will receive any answer for such a question, if she knew what spells protected the castle. She reacted just as he thought.  
  
"The spells? I cannot tell you that, and even I don't know all of them... The ministry and Dumbledore keep most of them a secret."  
  
Harry wanted to find the spell that created the door. But he realized Fudge had to be right. There should have been a problem with the enchanting.  
  
Walking up to the gryffindor tower, Harry met exactly the person he wanted to meet. Dumbledore. He had his wand out, and a small electrical bolt still shot out of it.  
  
"Harry, I think there are very important matters to discuss", he said. "The portal is not a normal thing, not in our times." He was now as serious as possible. This was very important if Dumbledore was not "normal"(the way he was usually). "The only wizards capable of creating one have disappeared a very long time ago. There is no known wizard who can create one. But there is. We have no idea who. I think you were the one who saw the portal first?"  
  
"No. It was Ron." said Harry.  
  
"You were with him right?" Harry nodded. "You know about portals, don't you? I remember seeing you reading "Ancient magic effects"."  
  
Harry's mind filled with a question. How did he know more about portals than he read?  
  
He decided to ask that to Dumbledore. "How indeed... How indeed". He seemed he returned to his "normal". "Do you have any more questions, Harry?"  
  
"Yes, one..." he answered. "What did you do with the portal?"  
  
Dumbledore paused for a few seconds. Then, he started talking: "The only ways to find out what a portal does is to shoot a spell to it, or risk and go yourself. I tried a small fire to see what happens. It was obvious it was a teleportation one. I tried to shoot lightning to it, to see if it has extra powers. The lightning was reflected; I suppose the entire school felt the shock. Then I entered it, knowing that it was not dangerous. And I was transported to a large field. I did not know what it was, or where I was. Then I saw the same type of blue portal, but its middle was not white. It was black. And that confused me. Not daring to step forward on the field, I waited for someone to come. But no one did... And I decided to step into the black portal and I came back."  
  
Harry stood there, not saying anything. Dumbledore bid him good-bye and left.  
  
The gryffindor common room was noisy again. His fellow fifth years were not as noisy as the others, and Hermione stood up when Harry entered.  
  
"Harry! Did you find anything?" she asked.  
  
"More than you think!" he answered. He explained her and Ron about Fudge and Dumbledore. Then they talked for a long time. All the fifth years were now back to normal. It was still a mystery about the creator of the portal. 


	4. Destruction

CHAPTER FOUR : DESTRUCTION  
  
Nothing out of the ordinary happened in the next few days. Mrs. Figg started teaching them about curses. After that she moved to the Aflaterytes, creatures that had the power to curse everyone with a stupidity curse. The affected person was not thinking normally for a time, different from person to person and from the creature's age.  
  
One day, while in the charms lesson, when they were practicing Haste, the speed charm, the door was opened with a loud noise. Professor Flitwick stopped talking and watched the door.  
  
"Another mystery?" Harry asked himself. Then, his question was answered. No, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Sirius entered the classroom and told Flitwick:  
  
"professor, do you allow Harry Potter to come with me to talk?" Sirius asked.  
  
"In the middle of the class?" Flitwick asked. He paused. "Yes, of course. But wait to give them the homework. Do a short essay about speed charms."  
  
"Harry, come!" Sirius told Harry, who stood up and exited the classroom. "Follow me!" Harry did so. "Viteza!" he said making a speed charm. He and Sirius had now a twice as normal speed.  
  
Sirius lead him through several corridors and reached a dark one. The lights were on but they did not emit light at all. He could not see anything except the lights. "Lumos!" he said. The light at the end of his wand could be seen, but still nothing could be seen, exactly as with the corridor lights.  
  
"No light will do anything." Sirius told him. "It is something you should see." He pointed his finger at a darker spot in the hallway. Harry realized what it was. That was another portal. This was a black one, and the smoke created by it prevented any light from lighting.  
  
"You realized what it does?" Harry asked.  
  
"No. Dumbledore told me you know a whole bunch of things about portals. And I think you will discover its secret. Dumbledore is nowhere to be found. So the only person to call was you."  
  
Harry stood there, thinking. He knew some things about portals, and Dumbledore told him what to do with them. Then Harry, still not knowing exactly what to do if it is not a teleporter portal, said "Foccus!"  
  
A jet of fire was shot from Harry's wand. It hit the center of the portal. There was a loud sound, like a pain scream, and the fire instantly froze. Was it a freezing portal? Harry tried a cold spell. But there were no strong cold spells he knew.  
  
"Sirius! Do you know a strong cold spell that could hit the portal?" Sirius nodded.  
  
"Arctic Velus!" he said and a medium-sized ice ball shot from his wand. It hit the portal. The ice melted.  
  
That was a different portal. Harry did not know about these. "Show yourself, mighty portal creator!" he shouted at the portal, taking Dumbledore's idea. He waited several seconds. When he thought he did not do anything, he was stopped. He did it. The portal answered.  
  
"Young Potter", a slow cold voice answered from the portal. "I wanted to meet you".  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"My identity is secret now. You will find out if you step into the portal." The voice was frightening. Harry decided it was better not to enter the portal, maybe it was Voldemort. He did not say anything.  
  
"If you do not want to meet me, I will promise that you will see me soon. And do not worry, as I am not an enemy. I want to destroy Voldemort. He almost killed me... Lucky he thought I was a muggle."  
  
Harry did not know what to think, or what to believe. Then he heard "See you later" and the portal disappeared. The black smoke vanished too. Harry's wand still had the Lumos cast. "Nox", he said and the light turned off.  
  
After the short talking with the mysterious person, neither Harry nor Sirius said anything. They stood in the corridor, thunderstruck, out of words.  
  
They were there for fifteen minutes without saying anything. Then someone spoke.  
  
"Well done Harry!". It was Dumbledore. "You have proven to be a very good decisive person, and I must congratulate you." Harry and Sirius continued to be quiet. "Sirius, you could not find me in my office because I hid myself. I wanted to see how Harry will do in a situation like this." he paused for a moment "You have done well."  
  
Then Harry found words. "Who was the person who spoke?"  
  
"The person is not known yet. But judging after what he said, you will meet him soon..." Harry thought again at Voldemort. "No it was not Voldemort at all."  
  
Dumbledore again read his mind. He was as mysterious as the other unusual things that happened recently.  
  
"Sirius, Harry, you can go to the Great Hall. The lunch began."  
  
They both walked to the Great Hall. There, Sirius went to his usual seat, at the staff table. Ron and Hermione kept Harry a place.  
  
"Hey Harry" Ron and Hermione said.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It was another portal. I had to deal with it myself this time."  
  
"Yourself???" Hermione asked quite surprised. "And what did you do?"  
  
"I managed to talk to the creator of the portal. It looked like Dumbledore wanted me to try it. I've met him just after the portal disappeared."  
  
They talked more than they ate. Harry told them detailed everything he did with the portal. After they ate, they went to Divination. Professor Trelawney was waiting for them with some planet charts on the desk. All of them took seat.  
  
"Today we will start with planet movement affecting the death age."  
  
"You already told us that!!!" Ron said.  
  
"No, Weasley. Today I will explain more advanced predictions. Those are almost all the time true."  
  
"As true as the predictions of Harry's death", Ron said in a low voice, so Trelawney could not hear him. He and Harry started laughing. After Trelawney's every sentence, Ron had something funny to say. That made professor Trelawney angry. And she found a way to punish Ron.  
  
"Weasley, the movements of Venus in comparation to the position of Saturn are not good at all... Looks like your life is short. Shorter than Potter's."  
  
"He lives 80 years and I live 79!" Ron said. Trelawney heard him.  
  
"Twenty points are taken from Gryffindor, Weasley!"  
  
She never took points from Gryffindor before. Not from what Harry knew. After a short time, they gave them a lot of predictions to make for the next class.  
  
"Stupid Idiot professor!" Ron said angry after they climbed down the ladder. "I will do anything to put her into trouble!"  
  
Hermione saw them again. "I told you to take Arithmancy!" she said.  
  
"Oh shut up!" Ron said angrily. "And imagine going to Arithmancy after two years!!! I think I would go if it were possible! This brainless idiot started predicting my death too!"  
  
"Really?" asked Hermione before she started to laugh. "This is ridiculous!"  
  
They stopped talking about that. They climbed the staircases, gave the Fat Lady the password and entered the room. Harry and Ron were very upset, especially Ron. They started doing their homework. They cheered up a bit by inventing death reasons for Trelawney. They quite enjoyed predicting funnier and funnier methods of dying. After about three hours, they finished.  
  
"Three hours!" Ron said angrily. "If that idiot gives us another homework like this I will surely curse her!!!"  
  
That evening they played different games with Lee, Fred and George. At midnight, Harry went to the bedroom. He thrown himself onto the four-poster bed and before he fell asleep, his scar was hurting. It was surely another of Voldemort's strikes.  
  
Harry was in front of a wooden house. There was a strong wind which suddenly stopped. A man in a dark cloak apparated in front of the house. The wooden door burst open from the interior. Another wizard appeared on the door. It was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Master", he said. "Our plans are ready. Arkatis is now after Harry Potter. He will surely get him for you."  
  
"Good job, Lucius!" the cold voice of Voldemort answered. "If Arkatis will do his job, you will be forgiven. But if he fails" A strong wind started again. Voldemort created this. "You know I do not tolerate failures. Both you and Arkatis will be punished!"  
  
A snake came to their feet. Voldemort was looking at it.  
  
"Nagini! Where have you been?" he asked in parseltongue.  
  
"We have bad news about the Hogwarts School!" Nagini answered. Only Harry and Voldemort understood him.  
  
"WHAT?" Voldemort's voice was now full of fury.  
  
"Dumbledore strengthened the Hogwarts' defenses. We can only penetrate them by destroying the entire school!"  
  
"This is bad," Voldemort answered, "because Draco is at Hogwarts, too, and many who could join me!"  
  
"Draco is not there anymore", Lucius told him, "I transferred him. Dumbledore did not allow him anymore. He is now at -"  
  
The wind strengthened. Harry could not hear where Malfoy was. He could only hear Voldemort's voice saying "I will go. The wind is too strong for me now. My recovery is not complete yet."  
  
The dream ended. He was in the bedroom; it was half an hour past midnight. This dream was no good news at all. He woke up fast, his scar was hurting a bit, and left for Dumbledore's office.  
  
He never was at this time there. The staircase that lead to the office was lighted by candles with a red fire. Then he reached the stone gargoyle.  
  
"Voldemort!" said Harry and the gargoyle started spitting fire from its nose. The fire on the candles expanded. Harry was in danger. "Inelus frostus!" he said, and an ice ring burst out of his wand and the fire was gone. It was dark, nothing could be seen. "Lumos!" he said and his wand started to light. He looked at the gargoyle and said again: "Voldemort!"  
  
The gargoyle moved, and a wall of fire was in the place it was put. Harry tried many water or cold spells but with no effect. He shouted: "professor Dumbledore!"  
  
The fire set off and the door swung open. Dumbledore stood there, half asleep.  
  
"Harry, what are you doing at this time?" he asked.  
  
"Another dream. Voldemort wants to destroy the school!"  
  
"Explain."  
  
Harry started to explain things quite detailed. He was happy because he wasn't drained again. Dumbledore looked quite surprised, but it looked as he had a plan already. The defenses of Hogwarts could not stop the way Arkatis would destroy the castle. But what was the way? Would he take some dynamites from the Muggles?  
  
Harry could not ask anything because Dumbledore stood up and ran out of the office. Harry did not stay there alone, he went to the gryffindor tower. It was an hour past midnight. The Fat Lady did not like being woken up at that time. But that did not matter to Harry. He went to his bed and tried to sleep.  
  
Lots of thoughts started moving through his head. He wanted now to sleep, but he wasn't sleepy. Where did Dumbledore extra enchantments at the school defenses? Or did he expect that Arkatis tried to destroy the school this night?  
  
He stood more than an hour until he, at last, fell asleep.  
  
Next day he was quite worried about the dream. He explained it to Ron and Hermione, and told them that Dumbledore hurried somewhere. Hermione thought like Harry, that he wanted to strengthen the enchantments.  
  
They were in the Great Hall. Dumbledore looked as if he had not slept all night. He did not want to talk to anybody, as he usually did. The things Dumbledore did last night were obvious. There were a stronger magic in the castle; everyone felt it, except Neville.  
  
"Harry", Hermione said, "where is Flitwick?"  
  
Harry looked to the staff table, Hermione was right. Flitwick wasn't there. His chair was empty.  
  
"Maybe he is putting some charms on the Hogwarts's defenses.", said Harry, "Hogwarts really needs some."  
  
"But really it becomes harder and harder for us to stay here. The magic in the castle neutralizes lots of spells now. Only the classrooms are not protected, because it was impossible to teach us anything..."  
  
"I wonder how could Arkatis try to destroy Hogwarts..." said Harry.  
  
All three of them stood, thinking.  
  
"I am sure Dumbledore will stop him", said Ron.  
  
Then, Flitwick opened the doors with a loud bang. Everyone looked at him.  
  
"The Death Eaters..." Flitwick said, "Are... Here!"  
  
Even they did not know Arkatis's plans, lots of students were alarmed. Dumbledore said something, but no one heard. Then, his voice was magnified, maybe by a Sonorus spell.  
  
"SILENCE AND DON'T PANIC!!!" he shouted, so everyone heard. "Quietus!" his voice was now back to normal. "Flitwick, is Arkatis one of them?"  
  
"I haven't seen him, headmaster. But who knows what their plans are..."  
  
"Sirius, Remus, Arabella, Mundugus and Fred, follow me!" said Dumbledore exiting the hall. The five went after him.  
  
Harry felt like going there himself. But he had to stay, he couldn't imagine what Dumbledore said if he went after him. But he really felt like going to the Death Eaters. More seconds passed with him thinking of what to do next, and after that, he said "See you later" and hurried to the grounds.  
  
He stepped to the entrance hall. There was definitely a stronger magic than anywhere. He could feel as he did not need to use his powers for a strong spell - the magic in the hall could do it for himself.  
  
Suddenly, a wizard entered the hall and walked into Harry. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"You!" said Harry pointing his wand at him. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"None of your business!" he said and he tried to walk past Harry.  
  
"Harzus!" Harry shouted and from his wand exploded some wooden branches that binded Malfoy to the ground. This was the Harzet curse he read from a book in the holiday. Then, he pointed his wand in another place and the branches moved Malfoy to that place. "You -- Never -- beat -- Harry -- Potter!" he said quite angry. "You want to destroy Hogwarts? No, you cannot do it!"  
  
"How did you know?" Lucius asked.  
  
"Does not matter" said Harry. Then an idea came to him. Could he use an unforgivable curse on a Death Eater?  
  
He wanted to put a cruciatus curse on Malfoy, with the help of the magic in the hall. He left Malfoy there, binded, and he ran to the Great Hall. He wondered who to ask that. He knew what McGonagall would sound like if he asked her. Then he saw professor Flitwick sitting on his chair, waiting for Dumbledore to return. Harry went straight to him, and asked:  
  
"Professor," he paused. He did know what to ask. "I caught a Death Eater in a Harzet curse, and I wanted to ask what can I do to him."  
  
"You simply can bring him to one of us and we will deal with him." Flitwick's answer was not what Harry expected. Then, he couldn't ask about the unforgivables - but he had to do it... He did not know how Flitwick would react... Then, knowing his personality, he finally asked:  
  
"Are the unforgivable curses allowed to use on a Death Eater?"  
  
"An unforgivable one! You won't be able to do it - but yes they are allowed, but not to kill... Really you will try it in vain... You just know the incantation..."  
  
Harry ran to Malfoy. He was that near him was Sirius. Sirius Black.  
  
"Sirius!" he said.  
  
"Harry! What happened to him?"  
  
"He...", Malfoy could say, "cursed... me... with a Harzet b-bind!"  
  
"What is with you Harry??? You start attacking Death Eaters?" asked Sirius.  
  
"He - He went up... who knows what he could have done..."  
  
"Right." said Sirius. "Mobilicorpus!"  
  
Malfoy's body was now lifted up. Sirius walked to the Great Hall, Malfoy was floating in air. Everyone saw them, and McGonagall ran ot them.  
  
Sirius left the hall after putting Malfoy there.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy!" she said. "One of the Death Eaters...You'll just wait until Dumbledore comes, to see what he will do you"  
  
Harry walked, and everyone thought he was going to the Gryffindor table. But, he changed his direction and ran to the entrance hall. He could hear incantations - there was a fight between the Death Eaters and the defenders of Hogwarts. He passed the entrance door and he had seen it.  
  
In front of him were Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Figg, Mundugus and Fred Thunder. They were dodging curses and shooting different spells, which hit Death Eaters quite easy, who were at a quite long distance from the others.  
  
Harry looked around to see who he knew. Most of the Death Eaters were unknown. There were about forty of them. How could Voldemort find so much supporters in such a short time?  
  
Harry saw Lupin shooting confundus charms on some Death Eaters. That caused them to attack each other. Dumbledore was more of a healer; every time one of the Hogwarts' defenders was hit, he would cast different spells on him, curing his wounds. Sirius was shooting ice balls. Mrs. Figg was not doing any spells, she was just dodging curses. Mundugus Fletcher used transfiguration mostly; he transfigured one weaker Death Eater into a stone. Fred Thunder was shooting lightning spells.  
  
"Close your eyes!" Fletcher said. "Do not ask why - just close them!"  
  
Harry looked to see what he was doing. Then he saw - One of the stones on the ground was changing size... It became a basilisk. It had to be a transfiguration spell used by Fletcher.  
  
Harry instantly closed his eyes. The noise of the battle disappeared... He heard a loud bang, and Fletcher told them to open their eyes.  
  
Harry did so. He had seen the basilisk dead on the ground, and lots of Death Eaters lying on the ground. Some were at a long distance; they could be seen running away. Dumbledore and the other defenders were looking attentively to the entrance to the grounds. Then suddenly -  
  
"Come with me" said a man who was holding his wand pointed at him. Harry could not see him, he had to turn.  
  
Harry had to listen to him. He did so. The man entered the school, still holding his wand pointed at Harry. He went upstairs, no one seen them. They reached the seventh floor. Harry knew that was the last one. But it wasn't. The stranger walked on thin air to another level. Harry followed him as he could. They reached a small room, with only one green light. There was a very strong noise that could not be heard from the seventh floor. In the middle of the room there was a table. On the table were three metal pipes, which had one extremity on the table and one in the air, and between them, there was a green spherical beam which emitted green beams throughout al the room.  
  
"Ardelio!" the man said pointing his wand at the metal pipes. He pulled out of his pocket another metal package. It read "Danger. Magical Explosives"  
  
"So... You are Harry Potter", he said. "I am Arkatis, one of Voldemort's most faithful servants. I have been sent to destroy the entire castle." He pointed his wand at Harry again. "You have no escape from me now. I may not destroy the castle, I have been sent to kill you mainly. But I have thought that here are Dumbledore and other strong wizards." He paused. "Oh I am not sent to tell you the circumstances. Activo!" The green light changed a nuance of purple. "Good bye!"  
  
Arkatis stood there. After a time, he had a strange look on his face.  
  
"No!!! I forgot... Anti-apparating protections... Oh..."  
  
Harry wanted to take the opportunity. He wanted to kill now Arkatis. But it was not possible. He had first to stop the spell. Arkatis, being scared, did not look as confident as before. Harry took his wand and pointed it at Arkatis. "Tell me how to stop the spell?" he said.  
  
Arkatis did not say a word.  
  
"Tell me. NOW!"  
  
"No, I will better die in my help for my lord... or maybe... not?"  
  
"Tell me how to stop it and you won't die!"  
  
Arkatis hesitated for a moment. Then he took his wand, pointed it at the purple light and said: Avada Kedavra!  
  
The light did not move towards the light. It moved to Harry, who, seeing that, jumped to a side saying "Avada Kedavra" and pointing at Arkatis.  
  
Even that he did not expect to do something as advanced as that, he did it. A jet of green light shot out of Harry's wand. Arkatis stopped thunderstruck, while the green light hit him. Next moment, he was dead.  
  
Then, Harry thought, Arkatis was right... What could stop the destruction? He did not think too much and ran to bring a teacher there. And fortunately, at the sixth floor, he ran into Dumbledore himself.  
  
"What is it? I felt something is going wrong..."  
  
"Follow me!" said Harry. He led Dumbledore to the invisible stairs. But the place the stairs should have been was not solid anymore. "Oh..."  
  
"What is it?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"The eighth floor..."  
  
"There is no eighth floor!"  
  
"Oh yes it is... and the stairs were invisible... They were just here! Arkatis used a spell and he said it would destroy the entire Hogwarts castle... I don't know how much time he have left..."  
  
Dumbledore took his wand. He said "Appontrix" and a blue ring shot out of his wand, like at the Inelus Frostus, but this was a lighter blue. It grew bigger and bigger. It stopped at the place the stairs should have been. Then Dumbledore said again "Solido!" and the stairs became visible. They stepped through the ceiling wall, which looked solid, and they were in the purple small room again.  
  
Dumbledore looked as if he knew what to do. He hurried to the purple thing in the middle, and said: "Etherus!"  
  
The metal thing on the table exploded. The purple light disappeared. There was a complete dark. "Lumos!" both of them said at the same moment, and Harry saw that the table had a hole in the middle. He and Dumbledore stood there, quiet.  
  
After a short time, Dumbledore started to talk. "It is good. I destroyed the explosives, but I used a charm that almost neutralized it. The threat has gone, but who knows what will come later..."  
  
Harry started explaining Dumbledore what he did from the moment Flitwick announced the arrival of the Death Eaters. He told him everything - the meeting with Malfoy, how he had seen a small part of the fight, how Arkatis caught him, how they went to the secret room and what Arkatis told him. Dumbledore seemed quite impressed.  
  
"You have shown, again, bravery there. And I do not blame you for being interested in the fight we had with the Death Eaters. And - Malfoy is in the Great Hall, you say?"  
  
"Yes, professor."  
  
They went to the Great Hall. Malfoy was still binded by Harry's curse. Dumbledore looked at him. He said "Lucius we will talk in my office. Mobilicorpus!". He exited the Great Hall, maybe going to his office, and Snape was floating near him.  
  
Everyone in the hall except Harry looked confused. Sirius, Lupin and the other ones were back in the hall. Sirius and Lupin went straight to Harry. After that, Ron and Hermione, too.  
  
"What happened?" Sirius asked him.  
  
"I'll explain for everyone to understand." He told them exactly what he told Dumbledore. After he finished, he told Hermione and Ron they were late for class. They had Potions, and being late for Potions was not a good thing.  
  
On their way Harry had seen Cho. He hasn't thought of her these days, not with all the trouble happening. He started thinking about her... He slowed a bit.  
  
"Come on! We do not want to be late too long in Potions!" Run told him.  
  
Harry tried to move faster, if he could. He didn't know how they reached the classroom. He had thought about Cho.  
  
Snape took fifteen points from each of them. They brewed a resistance potion, that gave the drinker magic resistances. Harry did quite well at this, thinking that Snape did not have anything to say. Neville, who was a disaster at potions, used more ingredients than half of the class, because every time he cut something wrong, or put too much of them. Snape became really angry with this, and he took another twenty points from Gryffindor.  
  
That class was a big loss for Gryffindor. 70 points were not nothing, and they thought Snape was now worse than ever.  
  
The next days, nothing happened. But after some weeks, another thing started bothering Harry. 


	5. Dirty play

CHAPTER FIVE : DIRTY PLAY  
  
The Quidditch season would start in a month, and he did not do any practice. He had not given any thought for the practices, and he had to do the hardest things. He read some books about being a Quidditch captain, but that was only theory. It was quite hard to apply them.  
  
He decided to start the practices after the weekend, in the morning before breakfast. He knew that later the Slytherins used the quidditch pitch. They started practices a week before Gryffindors. And that could be a good thing for them.  
  
The weekend passed quite hard. Harry started being quite bored sometimes. Usually Fred and George cheered him up, but he did not see them these days.  
  
Another thing was that bothering him was that his scar hurt one time. It was a slight pain, but passed as quick as it came. That brought Voldemort in Harry's mind, again. Several weeks passed from the attack on the Hogwarts castle, and he almost forgot it.  
  
He went to the rest of the team to tell them when they will start practicing. He thought being captain wasn't so hard as he thought. He had to think of new moves, and he really wanted to try some moves he had seen at the Quidditch cup.  
  
The team reacted as Harry did when Wood told him about the practices.  
  
"Before the breakfast???" Fred asked.  
  
"You are like Oliver!" Angelina told him.  
  
The only one who did not react like that was Kevin, who knew that they had no alternative. After telling him, he went back to the common room and started to play chess with Ron. Harry never beat Ron at chess, and this time he had lost as never before. Ron beat him three times in just fifteen minutes. He was surely worrying too much about the practices he had to do two days later.  
  
The days passed, and the time they had to start the practices have come. He went to bed quite early last night.  
  
It was twenty-three minutes to five o'clock in the morning. He was not sleepy at all. The sleep was good. The first person to wake up for that was Kevin, because he had the dormitory really close to his own.  
  
When he entered the sixth years' boys' dormitory, he saw that Kevin was already out of bed. He was ready to start the practice.  
  
"Ready, Kevin?" Harry asked in a whisper.  
  
"Ready... Are the others up?"  
  
"I don't know... I think they are sleeping at this time..."  
  
"Let's go now!" Kevin said and Harry nodded. "I want our practices to be good. I want to win my first match."  
  
They left the room, and went to Fred and George. Harry was right, both of them were sleeping like rocks. Harry prodded Fred.  
  
"Leave me alone!" he said, still sleeping.  
  
"Fred! It's time for Quidditch practice!" George was up already. He heard them. But Fred did not show any sign of wanting to come. Then George went to him.  
  
"If you want to wake up Fred, try this!"  
  
"Careful not to wake anyone here!" Harry warned him because he knew that George was up to.  
  
George got near Fred, took his wand and said "Watov!". From his wand shot a small water ball, which hit Fred into the face. He had woken up as if they shouted in his ears.  
  
"What? It rains!" he said, after really waking up. "George, it was simpler if you just let Harry to wake me!"  
  
They laughed silently while exiting the room.  
  
"You wait here", Harry told the others when they were in the common room. "I'll wake up the girls... but how?" He did not want to go in the girls' dormitory. After a moment of thinking, the door opened and Angelina, Katie and Alicia stepped out of the room, half asleep, as Fred and George.  
  
"Mornin'" Katie said while coughing.  
  
"Come on, hurry up! We will lose time." said Harry.  
  
They ran through the corridors, trying to avoid Snape which could be lurking around to take some points for Gryffindor. They reached the quidditch pitch. Harry wanted to do as Wood, to tell them tactics, but he had no ideas.  
  
"I... I think we should practice today as a revision... I am not as good as Wood, but I want to get used to quidditch this year, I for one need to... remember some things I did last year, and I think you should do the same." Everyone nodded.  
  
Everyone went out, and tried their old moves. Everyone did perfect. Harry wanted to try the Wronski Feint, but he could not remember it well, and came back to his old tactics.  
  
It looked as Harry had a great idea to make a revision, Wood did not do that in his first practice of the season. This did a good thing to the team. Now they were as good, or even better than last term. Harry had no comment to say about them, just "Great job team... If you play like this no one will ever have a chance against us!"  
  
They were going to the Great Hall to eat. Everyone was hungry after such a practice. Kevin Trevion did very well. He caught almost all hits from the three chasers. He looked as good as Wood himself.  
  
The first class after that was Herbology, they were still with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Sprout gave both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff thirty points after the great job they did feeding the Zarkilles, some plants that had very nice flowers, but quite dangerous. They liked eating a finger or two, but professor Sprout took care of that.  
  
After classes, while Harry was playing a game of chess with Hermione, and Ron was giving them hints, the portrait swung open and the person who entered was none other than Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry! You need to come and see that..."  
  
Harry followed Dumbledore without asking anything. Dumbledore took him to the secret eighth floor, and Harry saw that at the end of the three metal pipes on the table were three small portals.  
  
"The portals are healing ones", Dumbledore said. "I have no idea who created them, but I think this is the same creator as before. And - look at this." He pointed his wand at one of them, and said "Speak to me!"  
  
The red portals turned pink, and a cold voice could be heard...  
  
"I need to see Harry Potter!"  
  
Harry frozen again. This could not be Voldemort... Maybe it was a Death Eater. Harry decided to walk to it, and tried to speak to the portal.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"You will meet me if you will step into the blue portal!" the voice answered. A blue portal was created at the top of the three red ones. "I give you only a hint... I am not an enemy of yours". Harry looked to Dumbledore.  
  
"I think for precautions we will NOT allow Harry in the portal!" said Dumbledore. "Show yourself if you want to meet us".  
  
"I will, but not now. I am not strong enough to come to you..."  
  
"You can create a portal and you are not strong enough???" Harry asked in an unconfident voice.  
  
"You will see me really soon..."  
  
The blue portal disappeared. The red ones did the same thing but after a while.  
  
"Who can be?" asked Harry.  
  
"Who... indeed... This is a hard decision... to enter the portal or not..." Harry did not say anything. "I think you should go to the Gryffindor Tower."  
  
Harry left the eighth floor and went to the tower, when he saw Ron.  
  
"Where are you going?" Harry asked Ron.  
  
"Oh, nowhere, really... I was just walking... What did Dumbledore want with you?"  
  
"Portals. In the secret floor. I think this one who says he is at our side wants to meet me soon. StarCraft." The portrait swung open, and they stepped into the Gryffindor common room where Harry told Ron and Hermione about what happened.  
  
The eighth floor had to be examined. Maybe that was not the only secret room. Harry wanted to do it, but not soon. He could not go at midnight because he had to do quidditch practices early in the morning.  
  
The weeks passed really fast, every day the same things. Quidditch in the morning, breakfast, classes, then lunch, classes again and the team decided to do practices after classes too. They talked to McGonagall about that. He had no time to do anything except that. He played a little chess with Ron, he had a good time while Fred and George showed him their latest inventions - it looked like Harry helped them a lot when he gave them his Triwizard Tournament winnings.  
  
He was really tired these days. The game against Slytherin was coming close. He managed to create some new tactics, he was getting used to being the captain. And for that he really wanted to win the cup, to prove he is good for a captain too.  
  
He spied some of the Slytherins' trainings, and he saw their team had changed a lot. Starting with the seeker, who was not Malfoy anymore, they had another beater, maybe the others finished, and two new chasers. Everyone was doing quite well, but not as well as his team.  
  
The slytherins did special practicing for dirty things too. They were hitting each other, after the command of one of the chasers. Looked like they were playing dirtier than last years...  
  
He felt quite disturbed by the following game... He was not listening much in classes, he only tried to think about tactics. They started doing anti-dirty work training, what to do in case the Slytherins tried to pull them off brooms and some other things Harry had seen in the Slytherin practices.  
  
The day before the match arrived, and Harry spied again to see any final moves. He had overheard what their team leader had to say to his team.  
  
"Well this is it. I hope you will do as planned. These stupid Gryffindors won't have a chance. And remember that just pushing them off their brooms in not allowed. Use our tactics."  
  
"You told us that a hundred times!" one of the players replied.  
  
"Yes, and I will repeat until it enters your heads. So, understood, okay?" Everyone nodded and they left the pitch.  
  
Harry was really worried about that. The slytherins found a way to knock them off their brooms in a legal mode.  
  
"But that is impossible!" said Alicia. "How is that?"  
  
"I have not heard their way, but you must be really careful. Have your wands at yourselves, just in case. I hope no one will need it, but you know what the slytherins are up to..."  
  
"Right," George said, "Now let's go to bed, it's late and we cannot be sleepy at the match."  
  
Harry nodded and they went their separate ways.  
  
The fifth year boys' dormitory was empty when Harry entered. He was not sleepy at all, but he had to do it. The next match could not be easy at all.  
  
  
"Harry get up!"  
  
It was Kevin.  
  
"Harry come on, we have to have breakfast and after that... you know. Now, come on, hurry!"  
  
Harry entered the Great Hall. On the windows they could see a sunny day of October. He ate this time, he was a bit nervous about the match, but not as usual. The rest of the team looked really nervous, maybe even scared. No one knew what the slytherins used to try to win.  
  
But they won't win, Harry thought. They could not win even with their dirty tactics. The Gryffindor team was really good now, everyone was a very good player. Even Kevin.  
  
As the time had come, they walked to the quidditch stadium. While the teams were dressing up, the rest of the school took seats to watch the match.  
  
"This match won't be easy", Harry started his speech, "But if everyone is careful, we won't lose. They are not good at quidditch. They are just big and solid brutes, who try to knock down anyone and break as many rules as possible."  
  
The ream seemed now better. Everyone mounted their brooms, and Madam Hooch let the balls out.  
  
It was a pleasure to fly again. It relaxed Harry a lot. But he did not have time for relaxing. He had to find the Snitch before the Slytherins did too much damage.  
  
The weather was sunny, quite hot for November. A clear day, with no clouds in the sky. Lee Jordan was the commentator again. Harry was not attentive to what he said at the beginning. Now he started to listen.  
  
"Alicia Spinnet has the quaffle. Good pass to Katie, over the slytherin brute -" McGonagall slapped him on the face. " Sorry, professor, that is the truth. Oh, slytherin in possession now... A good pass to Madface, who is now charging to the goal posts, Kevin should be good enough for that... No, he wasn't... Slytherin scores... Ten - Zero for Slytherin.  
  
Harry felt himself angry. That was the first match when he was a captain and the team did not do it well...  
  
"The quaffle is at Spinnet now. What is she doing? She hit George Weasley in his face with the quaffle! What is happening? Madface has the quaffle again. Long pass to Elsig. Trevion was fooled with a move - and slytherin scores..." Lee sighed.  
  
Harry had to find the snitch. The slytherins could not be as good as that... There was something dirty... Harry saw the slytherin seeker looking around. He had not seen the Snitch. Neither did Harry, who started flying around the stadium to look for it.  
  
"Bell. Spinnet. Long pass to Bell again. Johnson. She passes to Bell. What? It can't be. Bell passed the quaffle do Madface. Very fast flying there - Slytherin scores... Thirty - zero to slytherin."  
  
Harry knew there was something dirty here. He had not seen the Snitch yet. The slytherins scored another four goals, bringing the score to seventy-zero.  
  
"Bell flies very well... Manages to fool any slytherin... And... She lets the Quaffle in midair! What is that?"  
  
That was happening. Madface caught the quaffle in midair and Kevin did not even try to stop it. That was not a normal match... The Snitch had to be there somewhere. And -  
  
There it was. A small golden ball was flying quite close to him. Harry rushed to get it, and instantly...  
  
"Stop! Do not get the Snitch!" he heard a distant voice.  
  
"Get it!" another voice answered over the first one.  
  
"Stop! Right now!!!"  
  
"Don't stop... You have to win the match!"  
  
"TURN BACK!"  
  
Harry turned back. The voices stopped. He understood now exactly why the gryffindor were playing like that. Someone was using the Imperius curse on them!  
  
Harry had a plan instantly. He had to see who casted the spell, so instead of calling for a time-out, he looked for the Snitch. It disappeared.  
  
"Harry Potter suddenly turned back while flying to the Snitch! That is... impossible! There is something unusual here... Elsig scores. One hundred-zero to slytherin! There is a really dirty play from the slytherins!" McGonagall took the magical megaphone from Lee.  
  
"The game is dirtier than ever", she continued the speech. "Bell passes to Angelina. Good flying there... Angelina shoots - oh, my, passed to Elsig! The game is not normal. Those cheating slytherins done something!"  
  
Harry, still looking for the Snitch, started laughing. He never expected to hear such things from professor McGonagall. Then, he saw it again. The Snitch was near Madface, who was trying to tell the slytherin seeker to take it.  
  
Harry did a very fast turn, and charged towards the Snitch...  
  
And then he saw it. Madface was pointing his wand at him, under his robes, so no one would see. He muttered something that was surely "Imperio" after the movements of the lips...  
  
"Hit Angelina Johnson! Hit her!" the imperius voice said.  
  
"It will be a better thing to get the Snitch", a second voice answered. Harry was charging to the Snitch.  
  
"Run away or Madface will kill you!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
Then Madface charged towards Harry, and hit him in the head with his broom.  
  
"Foul!" McGonagall could be heard from the stands. "Attack on the Gryffindor captain!"  
  
McGonagall was looking really angry. Madam Hooch was sure this was not good. And Alicia shot the quaffle through their own goal posts - It was one hundred to zero for Slytherin. Harry still was controlled by the Imperius curse, he had no time to look for the Snitch, he had to fight the curse.  
  
Harry could not notice what was happening on the stadium. But then, the imperius curse stopped and the rest of the team came to him.  
  
"I do not know what we were doing!" said Katie, "I can't even remember what I've done there..."  
  
"Neither can I", said George.  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked.  
  
"Slytherin won with three hundred points to zero! We haven't lost like this in our life! I think there was no quidditch match with such a score!"  
  
Everyone fell silent. Madam Hooch was calling them. The slytherins were really pleased. Harry knew what stopped them from winning. The slytherins were using an unforgivable curse on the gryffindors. For that, they should receive a lifetime imprisonment into Azkaban. Harry had to tell the team exactly what happened.  
  
"I know exactly how dirty they played! They should instantly go to Azkaban..."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Kevin.  
  
"They were doing a thing... really punished by the law... They won't escape unpunished..." Everyone seemed anxious to find out what he had to say. It was a hard thing to say. "They were using the Imperius curse!"  
  
"What?" all the team members asked. "How can that be?"  
  
"Simply, I know how it is. I've been put under this curse many times and I know how it feels. And I have seen Madface trying to curse me... And he did it well. I was forced not to catch the Snitch twice... And when Madface saw that I could fight the curse, he tried to hit me."  
  
"Just wait until the teachers find out!", Fred said in a low voice. "They are dead..."  
  
"Quiet!" said Harry. He could hear what the slytherins were talking.  
  
"I told you not to use this!"  
  
"But they do not know what we did... It was really... well done. No one saw me while I did it."  
  
"We think no one knows what. We were hiding our wands..."  
  
"I think this was not a good idea at all."  
  
"It wasn't!" said Harry approaching them. "You were so stupid so you couldn't realize I know how this curse feels better than anyone..." Every slytherin was quiet, and now frightened. "I was put under this curse four times by professor Moody and twice by Voldemort..." They looked now really scared. Some ran away. "Just you wait until Dumbledore finds out! You're all doomed, dirty slytherins..."  
  
With that, all the Gryffindor team went to the castle. Harry did not even wait for Ron or Hermione. He went straight to Dumbledore's office. He gave the gargoyle the password, "Voldemort", and entered.  
  
"Harry! Hello!" Dumbledore greeted him.  
  
"I have very bad news about the quidditch match."  
  
"I heard you had a bitter loss from the slytherins..."  
  
"It's even worse. They could not win so easy, and we were put under the influence of the Imperius curse!"  
  
Dumbledore looked quite normal before hearing this. After this, his smile disappeared and his face became as serious as possible.  
  
"Harry... Are you sure?"  
  
"Completely sure. I know how it feels, and I have seen them casting it. They hid their wands, but I saw them."  
  
"This is not to be tolerated!" said Dumbledore, and he was angry. He looked as he did last year alter the third task when coming to Moody's office. "They will be seriously punished for that!"  
  
Then, both of them left the office. Harry went to the common room.  
  
"How can that be? It is impossible!" said Hermione when Harry told her and Ron what actually happened.  
  
"It was, I've seen it myself!"  
  
"Really, Harry, do not joke. Tell us exactly if it is one."  
  
"IT IS NOT A JOKE!!!" he shouted at Hermione. "How can I joke on something like this? And how could we lose like that?"  
  
"Yes, right...", she answered.  
  
"But they should be punished by going to Azkaban!" said Ron.  
  
"Yes, that should be, they thought no one saw them. I heard them after the match. Now imagine how angry was Dumbledore when I told him that."  
  
Days passed without anything unusual happening. Harry did not have any quidditch practice yet, and no news were heard about the previous match. Snape seemed really angry the potions class. He took another fifty points from Gryffindor, because "None of the gryffindors managed to brew a freezing potion correctly". Some did it, but the slytherins helped Snape by putting extra ingredients in the gryffindors' potions.  
  
The defense against the dark arts lessons became hard. Mrs. Figg told them about the imperius curse more than Moody did, and she tried to make them fight it. She gave gryffindor some points to recover after the loss in Snape's class.  
  
Later on that day, George came to Harry with a Daily prophet in his hands.  
  
"Harry! Look what happened this time!"  
  
Harry looked at the article George showed him.  
  
  
HOGWARTS STUDENTS HAVE GONE MAD  
  
Tuesday, at the quidditch match between the Hogwarts' houses Gryffindor and Slytherin happened some terrible things. Seeing the Gryffindor team was really good at playing, and always won, the Slytherins decided to force their win.  
  
And they have done it in a way that no one could have thought. They put the gryffindor team members under the affection of the Imperius curse, and the slytherin team won with three hundred points to zero.  
  
As known, the law heavily punishes the use of the unforgivable curses, and if someone uses one of these spells on a fellow human, he should be punished by a life sentence in Azkaban.  
  
The team was made of three sixth years, two seventh years and two fifth years. Dumbledore tried to convince the ministry to punish them in another way. He did not want students to go inside Azkaban. They were expelled from Hogwarts, and their families had to pay one hundred galleons each.  
  
The slytherin house will not play quidditch this year.  
  
Daily prophet special correspondent,  
Arabella Figg  
  
  
Harry was surprised to see the Slytherins' punishments, but that was nothing. The writer was Arabella Figg. This made him confused. But he had no time to think about that.  
  
"We are having a party this evening!" said George after realizing Harry finished reading the article.  
  
That evening they had a very good time. Everyone was celebrating the expulsion of the Slytherins and the match; the points did not matter. It was as if the season was restarted, because that was the first game of the season. Fred and George were again the center of attention, they had stolen some food from the kitchens and everyone went up to bed late after midnight. 


	6. The Mystery

CHAPTER SIX : THE MYSTERY  
  
Next day Harry woke up really late. It was half past eleven. Seamus and Neville were still sleeping. Harry thought of the good time the gryffindors had last night. Even that the slytherin expulsions were more than serious. No one had ever thought they were so evil to use an unforgivable curse on a fellow human... They really wanted victory.  
  
He walked to the Great Hall. It was a Thursday morning, and everyone was at classes. Harry was late. He thought about the schedule, quite panicked. He realized it was not as bad, they had Herbology.  
  
After the class, where Ron and Hermione congratulated him for his sleep, they went to the Great Hall for lunch. He had completely missed defense against the dark arts, which was before Herbology.  
  
He ate more than usual, mainly because he had not taken breakfast. Madam Hooch announced that the next quidditch match was in a week.  
  
"Hufflepuff against Gryffindor", she said. "I do not think there will be anything bad at this game." She had thought, surely, about the dirty play of the Slytherins. "I have never seen something as those Slytherins..."  
  
Other days passed without anything out of ordinary. Next Sunday, Sirius called Harry for a talk about the creator of the portals. He saw the book where he read about them.  
  
"Who do you think that could possibly create a portal?" asked Sirius.  
  
"It is very hard to figure it out... I heard him, I talked to him but I do not know who he is."  
  
"You say Dumbledore wanted you to see the three red ones... It was calling for you... Strange, Dumbledore I know first tried to speak himself to the creator..."  
  
"I guess he did talk to him but found out it was I who he wanted." He paused for some moments. "Do you know where can I find some books about portals?"  
  
"Guess in the restricted section... But I have no idea how to get you in..."  
  
"I have", he said and he hurried to the library. Madam Pince was staying bored.  
  
"You again?" she asked. "What do you want now?"  
  
"I want anything you have about portals!"  
  
"Portals? I have twenty books where you can read about portals! Follow me and I'll show you."  
  
Harry did so. Madam Pince did not look pleased at this, but Dumbledore told her to allow Harry in the restricted section, and she lead him inside. There, she took some books.  
  
"This is what you should read first", she said giving Harry a "History of Portals" book. "Here you will find pout almost anything you want about them".  
  
Harry took it and went to the common room. It was noisy. He could not concentrate well to read.  
  
"Come on, Harry, come to play some chess!" said Ron trying to make him forget about the mystery with portals.  
  
"No, Ron! I have a job to do!"  
  
"Harry! Come on! Why are you so bothered about those portals?"  
  
"Because the creator wants... me! And I still have no idea who he is or what he wants. He must be a very strong wizard..."  
  
With that, Ron left and he read more.  
  
'A portal can be created in many ways, depending of the type of the portal created. The teleportation portal is done in two ways. The first, and easiest, is to apparate in one place, cast a water-smoke spell, then apparate in another part and do a "Walgurius" spell. The water-smoke in one part will turn into a portal, usually blue, and in the other side, the Walgurius will create the end of it. The second way is to cast a very strong Imperius, in the air, and freeze it with a very strong freezing charm. Then, the one who creates it should concentrate hard on the place where the portal would end, and say the following incantation: "Walgurius Metheval Imperio Trendus Alca Isizob".  
  
These days, no one can create portals. Some things that were not discovered yet now diminish the strong magic that was about three hundred years ago.  
  
Some say the magic is diminished by the nature. Because the dark wizards are so evil, the magic fields were reduced and any power a wizard had was halved. This appears to be a false thing.  
  
The other portal types are known only by their effect, no one knows how the wizards used to conjure them. There are healing portals -'  
  
Harry was stopped from his reading. He did not know why he stopped. He looked around the common room. Hermione was doing an essay. It looked like for potions - there they had the longest homework. Ron was listening to Fred, George and Lee who were telling some jokes. Harry returned to reading the book.  
  
'There are healing portals which were usually smaller, and red. They were very -'  
  
Harry stopped reading again. This time he knew what disturbed him.  
  
It was his scar. It had a very strong pain, but it disappeared in less than a second. His worries came back. What could Voldemort do this time?  
  
He wanted to continue reading the book, but suddenly, he closed his eyes. He was forced to do it, and his scar started hurting again.  
  
It was another dream with Voldemort, he said before the image appeared. And he was right. He was in a circular room, with dark gray walls. There was one light in the middle. One wizard stood in one side of the house, wand out, and on the opposite side, there was Voldemort.  
  
"So, Moody, you want a duel?" asked Voldemort.  
  
"I do not want any duel now", he said in a quite scared voice.  
  
"Join me and you will stay alive!"  
  
Moody did not say anything. Voldemort took his wand, and said "Crucio!". The next moment, Moody was lying on the floor, screaming in pain. Voldemort started a laugh. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted and pointed the wand at Moody.  
  
The green light was closing him, he was still affected by the cruciatus curse, and there was nothing for him to do. Harry could not help him in a dream like that. Voldemort shouted "Plutitus ingarmis!" and Moody's body was floating in midair. The Avada Kedavra missed him.  
  
"Moody", Voldemort said, "I forgot... I have one more question... I know you are friend with Dumbledore... Tell me how I can stop the magical fields near Hogwarts!" Moody did not look as if he betrayed Dumbledore... He was lying there. "Imperio!", shouted Voldemort.  
  
Harry had no idea what Voldemort put Moody to do, but he was surely fighting the curse. Voldemort was looking quite angry.  
  
"You do not want to obey the imperius curse orders? Then, I have just one thing to do... Avada Kedavra!"  
  
The green light was getting close to Moody, and suddenly, there was a small pop and Moody disapparated. Voldemort had done a mistake when he stopped the cruciatus curse. Now Moody was free. Voldemort looked really angry about this. The curse hit the floor, and made a small hole.  
  
The common room was materializing... The dream was over... But his scar hurt very much. He could not feel anything near him. His ears were filled with Voldemort's cold laugh. Hermione and Ron were the closest people to him, and they were saying something Harry did not hear. The pain usually stopped after a quite short time, at least weakened. But this time, it remained very strong. All Harry knew was that he said "Go to Dumbledore!".  
  
He opened his eyes again. The scar did not hurt as before. There was a slight pain. He looked around, and he saw he was in the hospital wing. The dream... He was drained as after the dreams in the summer. He thought the Hogwarts grounds stopped the draining, but this was not true.  
  
Madam Pomfrey was in the room, creating a potion. Harry tried to say something, but he couldn't. He stood there and waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish her potion.  
  
"Harry, you've woken up." It was not Madam Pomfrey. It was Ron. "What happened?"  
  
Harry tried to say something, but he couldn't. Madam Pomfrey came to him, and said, "Drink this potion."  
  
He couldn't drink it. He couldn't move. He couldn't tell her that.  
  
"Can you open your mouth?" she asked. He could do it. She managed to make Harry drink the potion. "This is an energy potion. It looks like you have no energy in yourself at all. This should give you energy, and you will be back to normal."  
  
"I", Harry managed to say, "I..." He could not say it yet. He had no energy. "I was... drained twice... before... when I was at the Dursleys". He felt better. "But it passed after a long sleep."  
  
"You stayed here for one hour. It is not a long time, but... We need to hurry up the things a bit."  
  
Harry woke up. He had enough energy now. "I need to see professor Dumbledore", he said exiting the hospital.  
  
"Harry come back!" said Madam Pomfrey. "You are not ready yet!"  
  
Harry ignored her. He had to tell Dumbledore what was happening, and ran to his office. He was quite used to go there by now. Dumbledore was near the gargoyle, outside his office.  
  
"Harry! You have to tell me what happened." and with that they entered the office.  
  
Harry explained how he read the book, and how suddenly he stopped. After that he explained the dream to Dumbledore, and the fact that he was drained.  
  
"I still have no idea, Harry, that draining is something unusual... as unusual as your scar. I am still thinking about that, and it is possible that we will find out more if we will talk to the creator of the portals. Now, Harry, do not worry about these yet. You have a quidditch match soon!"  
  
Harry felt as if he was slapped hard on the face. He forgot about quidditch, and the team needed as much practice as possible. He left Dumbledore's office and left for the common room. The team members were all there.  
  
"Hey, Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, Alicia and Kevin!" he said after entering the room.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What?  
  
"It is time for us to start quidditch practices..."  
  
"Oh, we haven't practiced for some days..." Angelina said.  
  
"Yes, and we should start as soon as possible. Thursday will be the match, and today is Sunday! We have only three days left - except if you want to start today." Harry thought of starting that day; he really wanted to fly again.  
  
"Don't know..." answered Fred.  
  
"Maybe it will be good to start from today..." said George.  
  
"Yes... Let's start now..." the team agreed.  
  
"So..." Harry had to start, "It is five o'clock. We have two hours until the evening, and we may practice after that, too. Come on, everyone."  
  
The group left the gryffindor common room, and went to take the quidditch ball set and their brooms. Then they set off to the quidditch stadium.  
  
It was a relaxation to Harry to fly again. He had lots of worries last days. But with flying everything passed away. He had freedom. Then he suddenly remembered there was a quidditch practice.  
  
"What's up Harry?" George asked.  
  
"Except the sky", Fred added.  
  
"Nothing really..." answered Harry. "Just enjoyed a bit of flying..."  
  
They started practicing. Harry captured the Snitch from five to five minutes, while flying around the stadium. Ron and George were playing with a buldger like tennis; Angelina, Katie and Alicia tried to put the quaffle in the three hoops and fooling Kevin, who was not pleased with himself.  
  
After about half an hour of practicing, the sky went black. It was very strange, as it was only a quarter an hour to six. The chasers and Kevin flew to Harry, who stopped in midair.  
  
"What's happening?" Harry asked.  
  
"Don't know..." replied Fred.  
  
Harry thought for a moment, and then said, "Something is happening... It is another hour until the night will come -"  
  
"Look!" a scared voice belonging to Kevin stopped him. He pointed at a distant part of the sky, where was a white picture. Harry did not realize what it was at the beginning, but after that he remembered it...  
  
That was the Dark Mark. Someone was murdered. And it was not Voldemort - Harry did not feel any pain in the scar. It was one of the Death Eaters.  
  
Then something passed through Harry's mind. What happened to Lucius Malfoy? He had no information; after the attack no one spoken about that. What did Dumbledore do with him?  
  
This Dark Mark could be created by anyone. It was the same for every death eater, a white skull and two crossed bones under it - an usual evil sign.  
  
"It's a Dark Mark, isn't it?" asked Katie.  
  
"It is, and we should get back to school as soon as possible!" said Harry as he landed on the quidditch ground.  
  
Entering inside the castle, Harry wanted to go straight to Dumbledore. But, a blue smoke clouded one of the staircases. As Harry thought, it was a portal again. He casted a fire spell and saw the fire was attracted by the portal. It was another teleportation one. And Harry knew by now that the voice was teleported, too. Fred and George were with him.  
  
"You again?" Harry asked. "Explain exactly who you are, and I will think then -"  
  
"I do want you to step into the portal - please! I need to talk with you face to face."  
  
"Never until I know who you are!" said Harry in a quite angry voice.  
  
"Now, Harry, I've been reasonable. And I won't hurt anyone. You know why I had come now? It is because Voldemort's supporters killed one of my best friends! And I will not tolerate that... He has no idea who he had been challenging!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"It is me! And... oh I will not tell you who - i mean what - am I. If you want to know, step into the portal!"  
  
Harry looked around. The whole staircase was full of blue smoke. Fred and George looked thunderstruck. Harry had never seen them so scared. And the portal - who could create that?  
  
"I am warning you that if we won't ally faster, Voldemort will kill us all! We have no chance against him... He will use a very powerful Avada Kedavra and kill us all with one shot!"  
  
"Now tell me how is that possible?" Harry had no confidence in the voice he heard. It could be one of the Death Eaters, trying to lure him to Voldemort.  
  
"It is! You still have no idea how powerful he is now! And he is not powerful because of HIS magic... Eh STEP INTO THE PORTAL AND I WILL TELL YOU!!!"  
  
"Tell me what you are and I will enter!"  
  
"Then, good bye. I know exactly when I'll be ready to teleport at your school. Expect me in the Christmas holiday, I will turn up some day."  
  
The portal disappeared. Fred and George looked more than confused now. Harry told them "Let's go" and they separated. Harry went to Dumbledore while Fred and George went to the common room.  
  
Harry told Dumbledore everything - starting from the dark mark and finishing with the portal. Dumbledore looked really surprised this time. He had never been like this when talking about a portal with Harry.  
  
"Not powerful because of his magic? Then whose?" he asked.  
  
"He hadn't said... Maybe Voldemort uses someone else's magic... and with his own, results a really strong wizard..."  
  
"Yes, and this does not explain anything. It could be you, or maybe him, the creator of the portals. If Voldemort found a way to use someone else's magic instead of his own, he should be really strong even without the other person."  
  
Harry's worries increased. He was now in danger... Greater danger... Voldemort was worth two - or maybe even more - wizards. That was surely dark magic.  
  
Dumbledore was quiet. He looked worried himself. Finally, he said to Harry his last decision.  
  
"At the next meeting - if it will be before Christmas - you WILL have to enter the portal. It's a lot safer to wait for him, but really - this could not be a dark wizard's plan. If he is one, how will he come to us? Will he declare an ally of ours and then destroy us? No that will be a small chance."  
  
Harry stood thinking at his conversation with the portal creator.  
  
"The mysterious person said he will teleport here. How can he? Hogwarts is protected against disapparating."  
  
"How indeed..." said Dumbledore. "Now Harry, go to the gryffindor tower. If there will be any important things here, I will tell you. Do not worry - as long as you are here, you will not be in any danger - of course, except if you go looking for it, and I saw you usually do this... Please... Stay out of trouble!"  
  
Harry left the office. He was heading, in a slow walk, to the gryffindor tower, thinking. How could not be worried? Voldemort could want him dead all along. He was in more danger than last years... Voldemort was now back to power, and he continued his murders and terror throughout the country. The Death Eaters could be planning an attack on him at any time. And if one of them managed to disable the Hogwarts protection fields, the dementors could be affecting anyone. But he had a help - at least he felt like he had. But it was still unknown... The wizard who created the portals... He had to be very strong, maybe even stronger than Voldemort... And that could be their last chance. Harry had to speak to him before Voldemort would destroy them all...  
  
"What happened?" the Fat Lady asked him seeing so worried.  
  
"Doesn't matter now. StarCraft." The portrait swung open and he entered the common room. Ron, Hermione, Fred and George walked straight to him.  
  
"What happened?" asked Ron and Hermione in unison. Fred and George looked anxious to hear Dumbledore's opinion about the portal. They were listening carefully while Harry said the entire story, because Ron and Hermione did not know much.  
  
"So... You-Know-Who is so strong?" Ron asked, terrified. Harry got upset in hearing that name. "Then how comes he did not attack Hogwarts when the Death Eaters were here?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
As the night approached, Harry felt very tired of today's events. When he finally went to the bedroom, he was continuously asking himself questions. How could Voldemort be so strong? Who was the mysterious person? Why was he drained after some of the dreams about Voldemort?  
  
His worries increased by every passing second. All he wanted now was a normal life, where he did not have to worry about being the primary target of Lord Voldemort and his helpers. After some days, he had another quidditch match. It wasn't as bad as Voldemort, but he was really worried that they'll lose. He was definitely not good for a captain and he had to do something fast.  
  
The same days have come as before the match against Slytherin. Practice, eating and school and then quidditch again. Every day was the same.  
  
Thursday had come, and the match was programmed for the evening. Before the match, Harry became as nervous as before. And he was not confident enough with himself - why should he lose the match with such a good team?  
  
Later the day, at four o'clock, he and the rest of the team went to change into their quidditch robes. He had no speech to say before the match started, so they went to the stadium, which was already packed with students. The thing that cheered him up was Lee's commentary.  
  
"Welcome to the first considered quidditch game of the season! Today's game, Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff! The gryffindor team, which will probably have no trouble in winning the inter-house cup -"  
  
Professor McGonagall shouted something to Lee, about not to favorite any team.  
  
"- The gryffindors are... Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Johnson, Bell, Spinnet and Trevion!"  
  
Harry was again relaxed by his flying. He could not hear what Lee said at that moment. He was himself again only when he heard Lee's voice saying that the game began.  
  
"Good catch by Bell, who passes to Johnson, BE CAREFUL! Oh, Angelina was hit by a buldger, almost falling from the broomstick."  
  
Harry did not pay any attention to the commentary. He was looking for the Snitch. But yet there was no sign of it. The buldgers were trying to knock the chasers most of the time. Fred and George were much better than the hufflepuff beaters. Their chaser was looking for the Snitch, too, and one of the buldgers went to him. Harry had no time to see them, he looked for the Snitch in his own.  
  
After a short time, he had seen it. A tiny golden glittering was staying near Fred, who had trouble with both buldgers, one sent by each hufflepuff beater. If he hit one of them, the hufflepuffs sent it back to him.  
  
Harry got close to him, and the three beaters had seen the Snitch too. The hufflepuff beaters sent the buldgers right towards Harry, who was flying with an incredible speed. He dodged both of them and Fred sent them high into the air, so Harry would have time to catch the Snitch. And he did it.  
  
The tiny golden ball was trying to move its wings in Harry's hand. They had won the match, and Harry had no idea about the score until -  
  
"Gryffindor wins with two hundred twenty to zero! A very bitter loss for the hufflepuffs, this time..."  
  
Lee's commentary was interrupted by McGonagall, who said "The match is over, Jordan!" and stopped the megaphone.  
  
The game was finished after twelve minutes from the beginning. It was another very fast one. The Gryffindors were joyful, they had no party that night but Harry's worries about quidditch were no more. He was enjoying their win like the others. The evening drove away all his worries. He had not thought of Voldemort or any of his evil plans that day. 


	7. The first step

CHAPTER SEVEN : THE FIRST STEP  
  
Next day he woke up quite cheerful. Their victory against the hufflepuff was not an unusual thing, but he really felt happy for winning the first normal game after being made captain.  
  
November had come, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the approaching of the Christmas. The classes were easier than usual. Those made Ron ask Harry some questions. He was used to have problems everywhere, and they usually had tons of essays to write. Now even Snape lowered them, and he started teaching about poisons. They were quite easy to brew, and they had almost nothing to write about them in an essay.  
  
One day, Harry had another problem. It was at lunchtime.  
  
His scar began to hurt again. He immediately turned to Hermione.  
  
"My scar hurts again... Do not panic if I have another dream!" It was usual now. Thinking at the problems he had before, he just waited... He was almost sure he would faint again.  
  
"Bring him a glass of water!" said Hermione in a bossy voice.  
  
"Harry! Are you alright?" asked Ron. Most of the gryffindors turned to him. And he was right, everything went dark again. But he did not see another place... He saw exactly the Hogwarts castle. He was standing somewhere outside.  
  
Suddenly, on the grassy grounds, he saw a yellow sphere in midair, floating next to the Whomping Willow. There were white lines drawn on it from pole to pole, and at the poles there were smaller white spheres.  
  
It rotated around itself, and after around a minute it grew bigger. It changed shape. It then took a human shape, dressed with a big cloak. It was still yellow. Harry looked at it, and saw what that was. It was Voldemort himself, and he apparated somehow into the Hogwarts grounds.  
  
Harry then remembered what the mysterious man said... Voldemort was using someone else's powers except his. He was stronger than the magic around Hogwarts.  
  
He looked straight at the castle, took his wand, and said a long incantation.  
  
"Worgass ovalama, Wortezz eltraza! Kapi as tecdom arx Kapi las vaxis!"  
  
From his wand shot a small yellow beam, which hit the castle walls. It made a small hole in them.  
  
The Harry in the memory really wanted to be inside the castle, but conscious... He saw Voldemort moving his wand, raise a hand up, and instantly, a yellow lightning from the sky hit Voldemort's hand. There were no clouds, so Voldemort created it.  
  
He pointed his wand again at the castle, hand still up, and several lightning bolts stroke the castle towers. He could hear screams from inside it... Whatever it was, it was nothing good...  
  
Voldemort tried another incantation, shorter this time.  
  
"Arkinu Varefell Cinqueza!"  
  
At those words, all the sky turned dark. Harry could see the front door opening. Voldemort's spell had no effect yet - not that Harry could see.  
  
Dumbledore stepped out of the door, wand out, and a green light emmited from his wand closing to Voldemort, who dodged it easily; there were one hundred feet distance between him and Dumbledore.  
  
"Karello!" Voldemort shouted and a very fast transparent sphere hit Dumbledore. He fell to the ground. That was not good at all.  
  
Sirius and Lupin came out, and after a few moments Figg and Fred Thunder. All of them casted the same spell at a time, and it united. One strong silver sphere moved towards Voldemort. He tried to dodge it, but it followed him.  
  
"Dismembro!" he said and a white light shot out of his wand and hit the silver ball. It exploded into one thousand pieces. Voldemort had been successful in defending against that spell too.  
  
More professors stepped out and tried to kill Voldemort. They shot stunning spells everywhere towards Voldemort, so he could not dodge them.  
  
"Erus!" Voldemort shouted and a spherical transparent barrier was created to defend himself. The stunning spells were stopped. After that, everyone tried a different spell. Harry had the instinct of using one, too, but he remembered it was only a dream and he could not do anything.  
  
He ran inside the castle to see what was happening. He entered the great hall, and was really stunned at seeing it. The ceiling was not enchanted anymore. It was now as a normal ceiling. The walls had several holes carved in them, and sunlight could enter inside the room. He saw that the hufflepuff table was upside down and the slytherin one was broken in two pieces. There were no students in there at all. He instantly ran to the hospital wing.  
  
It was full of students. Some were hurt, and some others were only staying with the others. The walls had a strong thick barrier as a protection. He saw himself on a bed. Surrounding him were Ron, Hermione, Seamus and... Cho?  
  
Yes it was her. Cho was talking to Hermione.  
  
"He was like this more times - it happens sometimes... because You-know-who", said Hermione.  
  
"And he will be fine?" asked Cho. She sounded worried. The Harry in the dream could not feel anything, and he just thought about Cho. She actually... liked him?  
  
"He will!", said Hermione in a i-am-sure tone.  
  
Harry wanted to see the fight against the Hogwarts teachers and Voldemort. It took him some time to reach the grounds, and when he saw the scene, he was sure if he was not a "dream" he would have fainted.  
  
Voldemort was casting a spell he never knew. It was like a rain but there was no water falling, there were huge snow shapes that were falling and eventually hitting some Hogwarts teachers. Dumbledore was up, but...  
  
Lupin was lying on the ground, blood spilling out of his stomach. He was hit by some spell. Sirius was trying to wake him up, but he could not do it. Lupin was... dead? Harry hoped he wasn't.  
  
McGonagall was hit in the head by an ice pyramid. She fell down. Voldemort was laughing, and after Fletcher was down, he said with his cold voice, now colder than ever:  
  
"You were such fools to think you can defeat the dark lord! I can't imagine how it was possible for you to think about something like that!"  
  
Then he was stroke by a thunder. It was a white thunder, and it looked like Dumbledore created it.  
  
"Never mind!" said Voldemort. "Axxa Valezz!" Another spherical ball was shot at the Hogwarts crowd. The ball split up in many smaller ones, and each went to another teacher.  
  
Some destroyed them in time, but Figg and Sprout didn't. The Hogwarts' defenders seemed to lose the battle... And Harry could not imagine what happened to him after that.  
  
"Everyone, tactic 62!" shouted Dumbledore. Every Hogwarts defender that was up understood what he wanted them to do. All of them shot a lightning at Voldemort. Then, while Voldemort was still shocked, they casted stunning spells. Voldemort finally gave up. He disapparated leaving after him a yellow sphere, as the one when he came.  
  
All the teachers were grateful because of that. After that Harry's dream ended... He was in the hospital wing, Hermione, Ron, Seamus and Cho were around him.  
  
His scar did not hurt as much as last time. It stopped quite fast. But the draining he felt was stronger than ever. He felt as if he had no body and he felt like if he had been struck by a lightning. He could just open and move his eyes.  
  
"Harry!", said Hermione.  
  
"You've woken up!" said a cheerful Cho.  
  
"It was now worse than ever!" continued Hermione.  
  
Madam Pomfrey told them to leave him alone, and gave him another energy potion. She was prepared for that.  
  
But the potion had little effect. Harry still felt drained, but he could move - a little - his arms, legs and could talk.  
  
"The attack... I've seen it..." he managed to say.  
  
"You've SEEN it?" asked Hermione. "The dream was exactly the attack?"  
  
"Yes... I could move... anywhere I wanted... as if I were an invisible g-ghost... I saw everything..."  
  
Hermione looked terrified. "Did you see the Great Hall? It is terrible!"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"LEAVE HIM!" Madam Pomfrey stopped them from talking.  
  
"No... I need another energy potion... I'm fine... I can talk..."  
  
"You can talk but you will consume any energy you have in yourself! Now relax... I am doing the potion..."  
  
Harry told them to let him rest and walked away. He tried not to think at anything for the moment...  
  
After what looked a half an hour, Madam Pomfrey came with the potion. "Drink it!" she said. Harry was then like normal - but he still felt as he was hit by a thunder. Then, it came to his mind - Voldemort was hit by thunders! And in the summer, at one of his dreams, Voldemort was hit by some aurors with a spell, and Harry felt as if that hit him...  
  
He felt any pain Voldemort did.  
  
But it wasn't time to tell that to Hermione, to increase her worries. She was worried enough already.  
  
Next moment Dumbledore entered the hospital wing, followed by the other teachers, and the hurt ones were brought by a Mobilicorpus spell. They talked to Madam Pomfrey. Harry was still in his bed.  
  
Dumbledore casted a spell and summoned more beds for the other hurt people. The hospital wasn't designed for so many people. Harry then told Hermione, Ron and if she was listening, Cho, everything - except that he felt like being hit by a thunder. She was surprised about the strength of Voldemort.  
  
They went to the gryffindor common room. Looked like it was not hit by Voldemort's beam, as it had no holes. They did not say anything. After about two hours, Professor McGonagall entered the common room.  
  
"Tomorrow there will be no classes, we still have to repair the damage done by You-Know-Who. And, Potter, Professor Dumbledore said to go to his office, he wanted to talk to you urgently."  
  
With that, she left. Harry looked at Hermione and Ron, and left himself. He knew what he would ask - What had Dumbledore done to Lucius Malfoy.  
  
Dumbledore was waiting for him outside his office. They entered it together, and they took seats.  
  
"Now, Harry, I suppose you had a dream again"  
  
"Yes, professor."  
  
"What it was about?"  
  
"I saw the fight between you and Voldemort. As usual, I could move myself, and I entered the school for a few moments."  
  
"The fight... It was not easy at all..."  
  
"Is Mr. Lupin okay?"  
  
"Yes, he is, Harry." They paused for a short time. "Do you have anymore questions?"  
  
"Yes, professor. What did you do last time with Malfoy?"  
  
"Malfoy... I took Lucius and put him under the influence of a truth potion, Veritaserum, prepared by Snape a short time before. He told me how he was working for Voldemort, and how he wanted to make his master rise again before Wormtail did. After that, I let him in my office, sealed by a Shek curse, which did not let him get away... And when I came back, he wasn't there... Someone helped him escape."  
  
The thought of Lucius Malfoy made him think about another thing. His son, Draco. But he didn't feel like asking that.  
  
"That's all", said Harry. "Oh, no, there is one more thing..."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"You hit Voldemort with thunder spells. I feel as he should have, exactly as the last time."  
  
"Yes, right. Voldemort had make a connection with you... How, we will never know. But we know that he uses a person to take his own pains, and that is you... Every pain felt by him will be absorbed and transmitted to you. And that is with the draining too. When he uses a spell, he casts it with the help of your energy besides his own. And that's his point... He knows exactly what he had done to you... He can cast spells that are now impossible to do by other wizards. You saw them."  
  
Harry paused for two seconds, and then said "Is he the creator of the portals?"  
  
"Well, Harry... I think he is not. The portals used a really strong magic, and yours combined with Voldemort's will never be such strong. Really, Voldemort can not use all your energy to cast spells. He takes a large amount of energy from you, and only a very small percentage is used by him to cast spells. I for one think he would never be able to create one."  
  
Harry thought for a moment, and then the door was opened. Arabella Figg entered the office, but she was still looking very bad after being hit by one of Voldemort's spells.  
  
"I've had enough! I think we should close this school until he attacks again and kills anyone!" she said.  
  
"Arabella, I think no", replied Dumbledore. "We are the last chance to destroy Voldemort. If we close the school, we won't be together in a fight and we will easily lose. And I am not responsible for you being struck by Voldemort's axxes."  
  
"Axxes? I was hit by a silver sphere -"  
  
"Those were axxes, created by the Axxa Valezz spell. This was another spell that could not be created for a long time ago."  
  
"And... How did he did it? And the blizzard - It hit Minerva right in her head - she is still unconscious in the hospital wing! Those spells... are impossible to do!"  
  
"Voldemort uses Harry's powers to create spells except of his own. And... I have no idea what to do. I have no idea how he does it. He should really be able to do very advanced magic to do that. The last wizard that could use someone else's power was Feducius Lamn, who was nicknamed Erised. And the spell that could do it required a magic that only he had in all history. I mean the known history, of course. The difference between a portal and the power-stealing spell are like between a Wingardium Levoisa and an Avada Kedavra."  
  
"Then, Voldemort... is so strong?" she asked terrified.  
  
"No, Arabella. He cannot be so strong - it's impossible... I think we will find out... When, I do not know. But I have a feeling that he will tell it at some time."  
  
"And... he uses Harry? So the only way to stop him is to..."  
  
Harry knew what she wanted to say, even that she didn't. She thought of draining himself of any powers or kill him. That way Voldemort could not steal anything...  
  
"No, I bet he surely would have found another person to steal energy", said Dumbledore.  
  
Harry did not want to stay quiet. "He even apparated - or did he? His powers are strong - and he used a strange teleportation mode..." Harry described the yellow, spherical shape that transformed itself into a human.  
  
"That was the strongest teleportation possible - it could not be stopped by anything - look, he did appear on the grounds. And the blizzard spell... It was really hard to do. All those impossible spells are on a book, "ancient magic effects". We should all read the book, even if we won't be able to use them, at least we will know what threats us..."  
  
They did not say anything for some moments. Seeing that no one spoke, Dumbledore stood up and finally said:  
  
"Well, I should go to the hospital wing now. Harry, maybe you will want to read that book, and Arabella, come with me."  
  
They did so. Harry went to the library; the book was in the restricted section. He took it and started reading.  
  
It took a long time to do it. After that, he put it back and thought of the spells he read about...  
  
The easiest to do, and it required the least magic from all, was "Artheza Revisio", which was another killing spell. It created a fire in midair, so strong that after the extinction, the air was hot another two minutes. And everyone who passed through the place would surely die, with an exception: the magic resistance could defend it quite well.  
  
The blizzard spell("Frost Iciclis errembin garatis al blerizaed")was exactly the spell Voldemort created - it created big ice pieces high in air, and the gravity attracted them, doing like an ice rain. When they reached a solid object, either it would be frozen, or the ice would break, but not without hitting hard the object. "This happened to McGonagall", Harry thought.  
  
There were many types of inferno spells. One was creating fire all over a place, it was the easiest to do. In the book was mentioned that the spell could be created by lots of wizards in the present, and it was mentioned because of the similarity with the impossible one. It created a firestorm, after a long incantation ("Ere Avy Les Kor Map Liz Teh Jar Bin Zod Kol Uld Tel Est Kir Nex Zus Kar Lee Tew Daj Nih"). The firestorm was easy to imagine - it was like the blizzard but it was raining with fire.  
  
One spell was similar to the cruciatus curse. But the pains created by it were controlled by the caster - everything: The place to "hit", the intensity of the pain, duration, everything. And it said it need a little more magic as for a simple Crucio. The incantation was simple - "Curricio".  
  
The hardest spell to do was the Armageddon. It had a very long incantation, needed very much magic to do, and its effects were disastrous. It was usually casted to destroy an entire town. It created several meteors from the sky that hit the ground with a very high speed. This was the strongest spell ever invented - and very few wizards in all the times were able to do it. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw the incantation. "Errazova Torski Jet Bergun Sappiens Lost Ofterramis Trewak Zip, Arkoor Teknava Zito Lememene Kursov Teshaimbi." After that, the caster should wait five seconds, and cast another spell, "Artezia Vampa. Lositik Luvery". The first just created the meteors, and the second made them to strike the Earth.  
  
At the end of the book there was an explanation to the long incantations. The actual spells were combinations of many other, simpler spells.  
  
Harry went to the hospital wing, to see how anyone was. He saw that professor McGonagall was fine, now woken up and she was speaking to Dumbledore and Figg. Lupin was still unconscious after what Madam Pomfrey said. Professor Sprout was arguing with Snape about something. Some of the students were lying on the beds, some of them woken up, some of them sleeping or unconscious.  
  
Ron and Hermione ran to him.  
  
"Harry!", said Hermione.  
  
"Where have you been?" asked Ron.  
  
"I spoken to Dumbledore... I visited the library."  
  
"What did he say?" asked Ron.  
  
"He told us about Voldemort's powers."  
  
"Us?" asked Ron.  
  
"Yes, me and Mrs. Figg. They had spoken about Dumbledore being able to use some spells that disappeared some centuries ago." Hermione put her hands over her mouth. She looked really terrified. Ron was confused. He surely did not know about the old spells, and Hermione surely read about them.  
  
"The spells - like - Blizzard? Inferno? Armageddon?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, some of them. We still do not know which ones of the spells he can create. Well, he surely can't do the Armageddon... It needs far too strong magic to do... And he did not create the portals. He does not have that power."  
  
"But... how can he do them?" asked Hermione in a low voice.  
  
"I think Dumbledore and I already know that. And it explains why I am drained after he uses any strong spell. He does not use only his power. He uses... my power. My energy. And with that, he is able to a performance no current wizard can touch..."  
  
After a long talk, every gryffindor went to their common room, after Dumbledore's orders. From the fifth year, only Neville wasn't there, he was still in the hospital wing, he was hit by an electrical shock of one lightning casted by Voldemort.  
  
Hogwarts could not resist Voldemort's powers. They had to do something soon... And Harry thought of the portal creator - or wasn't it Voldemort? Even Dumbledore could be wrong. 


	8. Erised

CHAPTER EIGHT : ERISED  
  
The following few days, anyone was talking about Voldemort's last attack. Everyone feared that he will do it again, and the classes were cancelled.  
  
Four days passed after the attack. Everything was back to normal; the walls were repaired and the students were less frightened. The hospital wing was empty again.  
  
Their first class in many days was defense against the dark arts. Professor Figg was teaching them about the advanced, impossible spells.  
  
"You have the right to know what Voldemort is up to, and the spells he uses are the strongest ever seen. No wizard can do them in present, except for him. There are not many information about those... powers. We know that the spells need a very strong magic inside a person, and a very good memory because the incantations are very long, and different. They are not the type our usual spells are; ours is more of a Latin language... The others are really difficult to remember, and they are in a language some know as 'Zenor'."  
  
"The first spell", she continued, "in the book 'Ancient Magic Effects' is Avada Kedavra. But the Avada Kedavra, as you know, is made by many wizards in our time."  
  
She started explaining some other spells, exactly what she read in the book. Harry did not find out many things from this lesson, he already had knowledge of these things.  
  
After the class, Mrs. Figg called Harry to her desk for a private speaking.  
  
"Harry," she said, "I have to tell you something."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"You know that Dumbledore recommended you to stay at the Dursleys in the summer?" Harry thought about that, and he remembered it. Harry remembered how Ron told him that Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore talked about that. "Well, you were safer there. I lived two streets from there, and if something happened, I had to come to help you."  
  
Harry knew that, he realized it when she came to Hogwarts.  
  
"And Dumbledore said I was not enough for a help, and he told me to be... your secret keeper."  
  
Harry was very surprised to hear that. He did not know that, and it was not a normal thing.  
  
"But - But why didn't anyone tell me before?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, no one should find out about that, and it was the safest thing to keep it secret. But... There happened a very strange thing..." she waited for a few seconds, "Voldemort managed someway to... break it, and he took you exactly from the house on Privet Drive."  
  
"There is a spell to reveal those secrets? Maybe he used a Veritaserum on someone -"  
  
"No, he didn't. Only I, Albus, Minerva and Flitwick knew about that. And we would know if someone used a potion on us. And there is NO spell to stop the Fidelius Charm, and that confuses anyone... Voldemort found another way of breaking the charm..."  
  
With that, Harry left the classroom. He, Ron and Hermione were talking about the spells Figg told them, and suddenly they were stopped by a very loud sound, and Harry immediately saw what caused it.  
  
A huge portal was standing in the middle of the hall. The students were all frightened. Ron and Hermione stood frozen at a big distance form the portal. Harry closed to it, and remembered Dumbledore's words. He had to enter the portal this time.  
  
The big portal had a strange color. It was a combination between blue and green; it was some kind of cyan. The middle was like always white.  
  
Harry felt a vibration in the air. The portal was very strong, and emitted light and sound all over the place. The sound in the hall became almost deafening.  
  
When Harry was at a small distance to the portal, the sound was gone. The light was stopping, and suddenly it started changing size. It became very small, like a ping-pong ball and then it grew bigger, now taking a human shape.  
  
It materialized, and in front of Harry stood a boy not much older than him, three or four years. He was tall and had a small grin on his face. He had two yellow eyes, a bright yellow, color which Harry had never seen at a person.  
  
Some Hogwarts students stood at the same place and some continued their ways to the next lessons.  
  
"Go", said Harry to Ron and Hermione. They obeyed unquestioningly. Some other students left.  
  
The strange man spoke only after the hall was empty, except for himself and Harry. He had a cold voice - it was the same as the voice that could be heard from the portals.  
  
"Harry Potter, we meet at last", he said. "I am the one who spoke to you through the portals, quite a good method of talking. Now, I am strong again, and it was possible to come to you, in your aid, in my aid." Harry did not know what to say. He waited to hear what the yellow-eyed man had to say. "I think both of us need a lot of help... And only together we can defeat Lord Voldemort."  
  
"W-Who... are you?" Harry managed to say.  
  
"I am Paul Erised."  
  
Harry stood there with no words to say. He knew the Mirror of Erised, which showed a person's most desperate desire. And this - was Erised? He was the creator of the mirror?  
  
"Erised is not the name I should have had. My name should have been Lamn. My grandfather's grandfather created a strange mirror that I have never seen - only heard of it - and I heard it is currently here, at Hogwarts. He who created it found a good name to the mirror, and people started calling him after the mirror's name. It was used as a family name, and everyone - including me - is called Erised."  
  
"I have seen the mirror - I know it."  
  
"Really? Does it do any good thing?"  
  
"No, not exactly. But I know what it does."  
  
"What it does - I know that myself... The name Erised says it." Harry did not know how could "Erised" say anything. "The name Erised, read from the ending, means desire. And I've heard from my father exactly how it works - mind him, I did not understand well. Now, I am not here to talk about that stupid mirror! We have to talk about much more important things, like the power Voldemort had stolen. I know that he stole some power from you... and from myself. He wanted to find some wizards who had an unusual magic. Like us."  
  
"Me? What magic do I have?" asked Harry.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I forgot that you didn't know - I mean I did not tell you what I am." Harry was now confused. He was a wizard, what else could he be? A strong wizard capable of doing really advanced, impossible spells. "I am not a wizard, not at all, and that makes you better than me. But you have powers that you have no idea of. We, both of us, have a special magic inside us. We, both of us, are magi."  
  
"Magi? What are those?" Harry thought of it as a bad joke Dumbledore played on him.  
  
"Yes, we are magi, and I can demonstrate. You see, I have no wand." He indeed had his hand empty. "And I cast spells without it, but it is not a magic wizards have. It is a totally different magic type." He pointed his hand to a pillar that sustained the ceiling, and a small white spike erupted from his hand. It moved very fast to the column, and at the impact, the column was broken and it fell. The ceiling did not look as if it wanted to stay there. Then, Erised did some movements with both hands, and a new-made column sustained the ceiling. "As you saw, we magi do not need a wand, and we do not need to say any stupid words to make them. Oh what a stupidity I said - You are a mage like me. But there is one difference between us."  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"I am just a mage - you are a wizard, too. And that is the greatest combination. One who is mage and wizard at a time is called a mago-wizard."  
  
"What about magi? I know nothing about them!"  
  
"We magi are considered by wizards as they are considered by muggles."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Muggles think there are no wizards. Wizards think there are no magi. We are trying hard to keep ourselves secret. And mago-wizards always existed, but they were hidden. The mago-wizards have new spells - combinations between the two magic types. They are cast always with a wand, and they have incantations. Long incantations, those complex spells are the only spells that use very long incantations. Most of the wizards think they disappeared with the strong magic. They are wrong. The spells can now be created as much as before. Only a mago-wizard can do them, and now we are keeping it secret."  
  
Harry had now lots of questions to ask, and he didn't know what to say first. First, he wanted to know more about magi, and their magic. Then, he had to ask how it was possible that he was a mago-wizard. Then, about Voldemort...  
  
"And Voldemort... He is a mago-wizard?" asked Harry.  
  
"No, not at all. He used some of the spells, but it was not his power. He used our magic to do them. I still have no idea how he got our powers. But... I wonder if he knew that we were magi, or it was just that he somehow found out the very strong magic in us; every mage emits a kind of radiation - very low radiations that cannot be felt by anyone - except if he uses a spell. So, he found out we are strong, and he made a connection between himself and us. Then he may have tried those spells which were impossible, even if he thought any wizard with a better power could do them, he still did it, without knowing what type of magic he did."  
  
"Tell me more about magi powers..."  
  
"We magi use a different magic compared to wizards. We use mostly elemental magic, and wizards rarely use them, and with weak effects. I know you wizards are able to create an ice ball - but it is nothing compared to what a mage can do... and both of them are nothing compared to what a mago-wizard can do... The combined spells are simply... elemental things done the wizard way, with a wand and incantation. They are magi spells done in a wizard way. There are no wizard spells done the mage way."  
  
"And is it easy to do... your magic?"  
  
"Easy and hard. It is like with the wizard spells - some easy, some difficult."  
  
"And - I am really a mage? I mean, how can I be..."  
  
"Simply, I will demonstrate it. Put your wand down... Now, I will teach you a simple spell. The fire bolt is the simplest spell that can be done by a mage." Harry's mind flew back to his Firebolt broomstick. "Look at me."  
  
Erised pointed his hand to a wall, and a fire bolt shot out of it. "The tricky part is to concentrate... hard! on the spell you want to use. Just think... at a fire ball, and point your hand in a direction you want it to move, then think... that you want to sue it. It is not as hard. Try it!"  
  
Harry tried it. He imagined a firebolt flying towards the opposite wall, he pointed his hand to it, and said in his mind "I want to create a fire bolt!" It had no effect.  
  
"I didn't expect you to do it at the first time... It is quite complicated, you know, you have to get used to the way you must concentrate. And... The most usual problem... what to think in mind? Just... you do not even have to think about it, imagining it and concentrating is enough. Just... do not lose your confidence. Try again."  
  
Harry tried it again, but with no effect. He tried again, and a small fire was created at his hand. But it disappeared right away.  
  
"Excellent! Just try it again... imagine it moving in the room, and you will do it!"  
  
Erised was right. Harry thought what he had to, concentrated a bit, and a fire ball shot out of his hand. But it was bigger than Erised's, and faster. It hit the wall and done a small hole in it.  
  
Erised looked impressed of Harry's power. "You did - a stronger fire bolt than I ever created! The effects of wizard magic can be seen now..."  
  
Harry was now very happy of finding that he was not just a normal wizard. But, still, he was confused about it.  
  
"Where is the headmaster?" asked Erised. "I heard Dumbledore is headmaster here, is it true?" Harry nodded. "Then it will be much easier for me. He knows that magi exist. That's all he knows, he does not know what their magic is, and he has no idea about mago-wizards, who are only seventeen in all the world, including you."  
  
Harry lead him to Dumbledore's office, said the password, the gargoyle moved, and they entered the office. Dumbledore was staying on his chair; Fawkes was at the back of him, on the window edge.  
  
"Harry!" said Dumbledore. "And... Who are you?"  
  
"I am Erised. Paul Erised."  
  
Dumbledore stood up. "Erised! A mage!"  
  
"Yes, indeed." They started talking about the magi powers, and Harry. Dumbledore was more surprised with every word. And less scared. His fears passed away with that news.  
  
"If you - really are a... mago-wizard, then Voldemort will have no chances at all! But... how can he use magi powers if he is not one? It simply can't be simply stealing... There is no spell capable of doing something like that..."  
  
"No, he did not steal powers with a spell. It was something... more complex, or who knows, maybe something easier and simpler. We will never find out - unless he will tell us our secrets... And he is not so stupid to do it..."  
  
"Right, of course. Now... How will Harry learn that magic? He should learn that before thinking he is able to defeat Voldemort! Listen, both of you. Never tell anyone about this! Or, Harry... Do you trust Ron and Hermione so much that you will tell them? If you are sure they will not tell it to anyone - not even their family or other friends! - You may tell them all of this..."  
  
"Now, headmaster", said Erised, "I think I should go to my house. Harry! If you will ever need me, just... try this simple spell! It is called the Forward Talking spell. You will be able to talk to me even if I will be on the other side of the planet."  
  
Erised taught Harry the spell, which was very easy, and then, said:  
  
"Now, Harry. I will think about methods to teach you mage magic. I will call you with the Forward Talking spell after I will decide. Now, good bye."  
  
"See you!" said Harry.  
  
"Good bye", said Dumbledore.  
  
Erised disappeared exactly as Voldemort, using the yellow sphere spell.  
  
Neither Harry nor Dumbledore said anything. They were thinking about the new things they discovered... Harry knew it was not a joke, as he did it himself. It was as true as possible.  
  
"Now, I think you know what to do... try to act normally, and tell only Ron and Hermione this. No one should find about that, except the teachers, Sirius, Lupin, Fletcher and Thunder. Now, Harry... The lunch is going to start!"  
  
They said goodbye and Harry left for the Great Hall. There Ron and Hermione asked him what happened. He said he would tell them later, and in a place where no one could hear them. They were anxious to hear it.  
  
After lunch, they had History of Magic. Harry and Ron wanted to skip it because they could speak in private but Hermione did not agree. At last, after a long, boring class, the three of them went to an empty classroom.  
  
Harry started explaining everything. He started with Erised, he told them how he found out he was a mago-wizard, he told them what a mage's powers were, he told them, and showed it, about the fire bolt, then about what Dumbledore said.  
  
Hermione seemed to react as Dumbledore. Her worries were lessened. Ron looked very surprised. Hermione gave her opinion.  
  
"Well, it seems we are now the ones who have a better chance of victory. Voldemort won't be able to kill you now! And -"  
  
She was stopped by a loud crash on the ceiling. It was Peeves, who crashed a cauldron.  
  
"Students broke something! Students broke something!" he started to say.  
  
Harry had an idea. He used his mage powers and cast a fire bolt on Peeves. He was hit by the spell, even that he was a ghost.  
  
"Students attack ghosts!" he said before retreating.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in danger. Filch was approaching their position. Harry tried to find a place to run into. And he hid himself, and called Hermione and Ron, too, under the desk.  
  
The door swung open.  
  
"We will find them, my sweet, we will find them", Filch said. He was talking to Mrs. Norris, his cat.  
  
Mrs. Norris smelled them. She came in front of the desk, and meowed at them.  
  
"Here?" asked Filch. "Where?"  
  
Mrs. Norris meowed again, and she looked at the desk.  
  
"You!" said Filch after seeing them. "Now someone wants a punishment! Come to my office!"  
  
They had to do as he asked. They had no choice. He lead them to his office - Harry was there only once before, in his second year. "Sit!"  
  
"So...", he said taking a small piece of parchment. "Name... Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley... Crime... found in a classroom after breaking... a cauldron!"  
  
"I did not break anything!" said Harry.  
  
"Of course you did... I heard it myself!"  
  
"It was Peeves -"  
  
"Anyone blames Peeves for anything now! That is the usual defense! Everyone says that! Date... five November 1995"(Author's notes: I hope I am right with the date...)  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting and waiting for Filch to complete. Harry thought of speaking to Erised with the spell... He had just to think, nothing to say. And, he used it.  
  
"Erised! Tell me a way to set a wood on fire!" he thought.  
  
"It's not that easy, Harry. You need a firewall, or a summon fire. They are almost the same, but the second is recommended. It is just better, and it avoids hitting anything else except your target."  
  
He explained the spell in Harry's mind. And then he tried to do it. The door was looking as before; nothing changed. Harry tried again. But he missed the target... Instead of burning the door, he burned a chair near it.  
  
"What? How..." Filch asked. "You! Magic is not allowed here... I will get you out of Hogwarts faster than you can say "Out!""  
  
Harry did it wrong. And, he had an idea to deffend himself.  
  
"I didn't do anything - do you see any wands? or did we say anything? No..."  
  
Filch was looking quite confused. "I saw it, boy, I saw the effect... No matter how you did it, I saw it. And do not think you will escape so easy!"  
  
"Obliviate!" Harry heard. Hermione just shot a memory charm to Filch.  
  
"Now, because you have finished your punishments, go!" he said.  
  
The three exited the office.  
  
"Brilliant!" said Ron.  
  
"Excellent idea!" said Harry.  
  
"You know, on muggles and squibs the memory charms work very easy. And I didn't need too much magic... He knew that we had a detention in his office, and that we just finished it."  
  
They went to the gryffindor tower. The students were again crowded near Fred and George. They tested some of their new inventions. The first thing Harry saw was a singing bean. Whoever ate it started singing automatically, without stopping.  
  
The next day they had Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid was waiting for them with a feather in a cage.  
  
"Hagrid," said Ron, "Why to take care of a feather?"  
  
"Ron, you have no idea what this feather is able to do. Does anyone have an opinion? What do you think this is?"  
  
Hermione raised her hand, as usual.  
  
"Yes?" asked Hagrid.  
  
"This is a feather from the wings of a Pegasus!" she said.  
  
"It's fifty percent true", said Hagrid. "This is not a feather, even if it looks like one. This is a shapeshifter, it is a lauron. Laurons are animals that change shapes however they want. I do not know why this changed to a feather, but I am sure it will change in about five minutes."  
  
Hermione looked very angry with herself. She did not like being wrong.  
  
He took it from the cage, and looked at it. It changed its shape immediately. It grew bigger and bigger, and it took shape of a fully-grown black dragon. It was a Norwegian ridgeback, the same type Hagrid had in Harry's first year.  
  
This one started shooting fire at Harry. He stopped it with a quick water charm. The dragon shot again, but this was a lot longer. The jet of fire could not be extinguished easy.  
  
Harry tried to dodge it, and jumped on his left. The fire hit the grass, and it turned to ash.  
  
The other students ran away. Harry was the attacked one - but why? The dragon could target anyone, and it targeted Harry.  
  
The dragon flew a little and then landed near Harry. It breathed very hot. Harry could feel it. Hagrid stepped back again, and he entered his hut. Hermione and Ron stopped at a long distance, and they started shooting different spells at the dragon.  
  
It resisted every spell cast by them, and turned again to Harry. It breathed a little fire over Harry, and his cloak started burning. His scar hurt, too.  
  
Hermione shot a rain spell - a very weak and small one, and the fire was extinguished. But Harry was hurt, the fire touched him.  
  
The scar hurt again, and it was much stronger. Then the dragon went white, and started changing size and shape. The scar hurt so strong that Harry closed his eyes. He could not move at all. His scar was hurting and a small part of his skin was black from the burns.  
  
Harry could not feel anything. He went completely deaf. He could not see anything.  
  
After that, he was unconscious. 


	9. The connection

CHAPTER NINE: THE CONNECTION  
  
Harry woke up. Before trying to look around, he thought he was in the hospital wing. But how could it? He could feel a slight wind, and that meant he was outside.  
  
He finally opened his eyes. He looked around, and he saw he was not in the hospital wing. He was in a large garden. He was nowhere around Hogwarts, because there were no mountains. He knew where he was. Near him was a large old house - it was the Riddle House.  
  
He was alone. His scar did not hurt anymore. But the skin hurt - the dragon's flames burned him.  
  
After he stood up, he wanted to go somewhere - but where could he go; there was a muggle village and the only wizards that could be here were Voldemort or his Death Eaters. Harry did not know how to apparate. He was hopeless once again, equipped only with his wand, which he pulled out of his robes.  
  
He started walking towards the street, which wasn't far from where he stood. The village was very small - only about twenty large houses, with huge gardens. There were no people on the street. He was alone. Voldemort could come at anytime.  
  
Harry had nothing to do, just to wait for Voldemort to catch him.  
  
But he hasn't stayed for long. Someone apparated near him. It was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Finally, I've got you... My Lord will be pleased", he said.  
  
Harry was now alone with Malfoy. He had beaten Malfoy once, why couldn't he do it again? Both of them had their wands pulled out. Harry was this time ready for the duel - except that the pain in his skin could stop him from concentrating. He pointed his wand at Malfoy.  
  
"Brave Harry Potter, you will never beat me! How can you beat one of the most faithful -"  
  
"Faithful or not, you still do not have any protection from your stupid master!" said Harry bravely.  
  
"No protection? We shall see, we shall see... Crucio!"  
  
But Harry did not need to think. He performed his own cruciatus curse. The two spells hit each other, followed by a loud bang. The two spells hit and tried to affect each other.  
  
Harry knew the spells Malfoy wasn't prepared to deffend against... The mage spells. And Harry started saying, even if he didn't want to: "Adu fortza fulgerului! Distruge tot ce vezi!". He raised his hand, pointed his wand at the sky...  
  
His words were followed by a loud thunder that hit Malfoy, and after that the whole sky turned white. More thunders fell in distance, and each one reflected and hit Malfoy. The thunders kept hitting him, until Harry lowered his hand.  
  
The sky turned a light blue as before. Malfoy was lying on the road. He seemed unconscious. Harry moved to him and took his wand. He broke it into two pieces. Malfoy was now defeated.  
  
There was a small pop and Harry heard the cold voice of Voldemort.  
  
"So... This is what little Harry Potter is capable of..."  
  
Harry turned to him. All he needed was to talk to Erised - but that was now impossible.  
  
"Really, the thunder storm rarely hits only one target. This should have destroyed all what you see here... including yourself. But, no. You are stronger than that. You are able to concentrate all the power of a spell in a single target. I congratulate you for this. And I know everything now. It took me a whole lot of time to find out about the magi. And I found out of them only yesterday... I used their powers without knowing what they are! I thought those were normal wizard spells, which required a lot of magic from the caster. But this wasn't true..."  
  
He paused a bit. Harry looked at him. His cold voice was very loud this time. Voldemort was calm now. Harry could see the happiness in his eyes...  
  
"I found out just yesterday that I was making mago-wizard spells. I found out just yesterday that there existed magi. Good luck that the only two persons whose blood is in me were both magi... Especially one who is a mago-wizard."  
  
Voldemort looked as he wanted to kill Harry as soon as possible. And maybe this was what he wanted, but he wanted to know the power of his enemy. Of his murderer.  
  
"You two should have noticed that all your chances against me are lost. Every time I perform a mago-wizard spell I use your power instead of mine... At any spell you are both drained. And I can drain your powers at anytime I want. I have full control of them. So, a duel will be made for nothing... Because we know who will win."  
  
Voldemort paused again. He looked very pleased with his work. Harry had to think of something...fast.  
  
"There is only one thing I should ask you... How did you manage to drain some of MY powers when you used that thunderstorm?"  
  
Harry looked confused and surprised. He didn't know that Voldemort was a little drained after he used his thunderstorm.  
  
"It is very easy to understand how do I did it... How I had stolen your blood. Do you remember what way I was restored to power by my faithful servant, Wormtail?"  
  
Harry knew. Wormtail took a bit of Wormtail's flesh, Voldemort's father's bone, and Harry's blood... That was how Voldemort took control of his mage powers.  
  
"Well, I think you do know. With Erised it was easier. Fifteen years ago... One year before my stupid downfall... I felt a very strong magic near one person... And I knew that. I knew that having his blood will establish a permanent connection between us... I thought he was a muggle at first - he didn't know any spells. He didn't know any wizard spell. But, I still felt his magic. I thought he was simply a wizard who wasn't taken at a school. I almost killed him and I took some of his blood... I knew that if I killed him I could not have any of his powers. So I leaved him barely alive... And with your magic, I thought that was your father's. He was one of the strongest wizards ever - except Dumbledore and myself. But he was not a mage at all. Not that I know of."  
  
Harry now felt as if he had no chance. Really, Voldemort was very powerful, and Harry couldn't do anything... He didn't know how did he drain Voldemort. If he did, he would try to do it again, once and for all, but he didn't know.  
  
"That's why the secret-keeper things did not work. I could see you even if you were protected with the Fidelius charm. And I knew where you were..."  
  
Voldemort found his last words for this speech.  
  
"The only way for you to live is to join me. Even if you try to remove your blood from myself you won't do anything."  
  
Harry will never join Voldemort. He was fighting for the light side - and after all goods that he did for it, he will never join the dark side. Through his mind passed an image of himself fighting Dumbledore. No, he won't accept it...  
  
"Then, Harry; I am sorry. I will perform a permanent draining on you... You will never have any magic powers... I won't kill you because the connection will disappear... Say good-bye to your powers now."  
  
Voldemort took his wand and pointed it to Harry. He did not say anything.  
  
Small white bubbles appeared in the air, all of them were attracted by Voldemort's wand. The wand turned black and created a dark blue sphere which looked like made of dust. The white bubbles were inside his wand, and they all shot towards Harry.  
  
Before any of them hit him, he took his wand and said "Matremonius!"  
  
From his wand shot a blue lightning spell - it hit all the bubbles in a row. Voldemort's spell was stopped. Harry knew that deflector spell from a book he read in the summer.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" said Harry, wand pointed at Voldemort. He was sure he will do it - the deflector spell was as advanced as the avada kedavra.  
  
The green jet of light hit Voldemort. The next moment, he was lying on the ground, apparently dead.  
  
Then Harry's vision darkened. He felt as if he had no powers. That was not a result of the connection. The Avada Kedavra did not work well... A small green smoke was around Harry. He was killed by his own spell. 


	10. Through the walls

CHAPTER TEN: THROUGH THE WALLS  
  
Harry died. But he felt alive. He did not feel anything. It was silence around. He was still on the roan in the Riddle House. He stood up -  
  
But what happened? His body was left away where he died. He looked at himself, and saw that he was white - he was a ghost!  
  
He flew high in the air. The feeling was nothing he could imagine before. He did not feel his body, but he knew it was there and could control it. He felt as if he had no weight. It was a very good feeling. He moved very easy in the air. Then he looked down. His body was lying unmoved on the ground... He was sure that if he wasn't a ghost, he should be crying. That was what he felt. His life was ended... He could not be friend with Ron and Hermione as before... And not with Cho at all... He was a ghost and even if he could stay through the other wizards, it will never be like before.  
  
And how could he go to Hogwarts? He had no idea where the Riddle House was. Being a ghost he could not take a wand, and he could not talk to Erised, too...  
  
Voldemort was lying on the ground - and suddenly he woke up.  
  
Harry was surprised. Voldemort did not die. He was looking at the ghost that was Harry, laughing.  
  
"That's the result of an Avada Kedavra!" he said. "But you became a ghost... The only difference between us is that when I was killed, I did not become a ghost... But after the same effect, you did!"  
  
Harry was confused. There happened the same thing as in the night when Voldemort had his first downfall... But this time, Harry was the killed one. He looked at Voldemort, at the place the Avada Kedavra hit him, and he saw it.  
  
Voldemort had a scar on his head!  
  
"Now, how did you do that?" asked Harry.  
  
"I do not know... Maybe it was because the blood... I wonder if I can use the blood of a ghost to make spells... oh of course not... But, Harry Potter, my mission was complete. You are dead. I can continue my work in spreading the evil throughout the world!"  
  
"You have no more po..." said Harry but he suddenly stopped. He wanted to say that Voldemort did not have mage powers - but he still had Erised's blood...  
  
"Harry, you now know who is the best -"  
  
"NO, YOU WAS THE ONE WHO FAILED FIRST!" shouted Harry.  
  
"Oh, yes, but did I die? No, as you can see, I am alive... And you are just a ghost..."  
  
"just a ghost..." Harry's mind came back. The rest of his life he will remain a ghost, and that could not help anyone... Unless he spied, of course. Ghosts were great spies. At least he still had a use in this world.  
  
Voldemort left and entered the Riddle House. Harry became worried. Hogwarts was at a very long distance from the place where he was - and he had to find it first.  
  
His first day as a ghost was very boring. He could not do anything, just move. He left the Little Hangleron village and went south. He was thinking all the time. What could Voldemort do during this time? What happened to his friends? What were they doing? And there came another question... Why was he at the Riddle house? Who brought him there?  
  
After one day of searching, he just found some mountains. Those could be the ones near Hogwarts, but he wasn't sure of that. But that day another thing bothered him.  
  
He had seen the sky go red in the middle of the day. It was surely fire. Harry thought it was the Armageddon spell, cast by Voldemort. But Dumbledore said he could not do anything as strong as that...  
  
But Dumbledore was wrong. He did not know about magi at that time. And Harry was sure Voldemort was able to do it... Even if he could not use Harry's powers, he could still use Erised's, and besides that, in the "Ancient Magic Effects" book was no incantation given for the portal spells! That meant they could be pure mage spells.  
  
The only chance for the light side to win was if Harry found Hogwarts fast enough. He continued flying south. The mountains were close to him but he wasn't sure where it was at all.  
  
He passed through some forests, meeting some creatures that if he was not a ghost he was surely dead - or at least attacked.  
  
Days passed without him finding anything. He saw people and he couldn't talk to them because he was sure they were muggles. His worries increased and he even thought that he will never reach Hogwarts.  
  
Flying at a very big height, being careful to not be seen, one day he saw a wizard, on a broom. Both of them were very surprised.  
  
"Harry... Potter?" he asked. "You are Harry Potter?"  
  
"Yes, I am. Where is Hogwarts? I've been looking for it for a whole week!"  
  
"Hogwarts... is not far away from here. But - you are a ghost... No one knew... You-know-who let a letter saying that you have died bravely... is that - true?"  
  
"Yes it is... bravely except that I killed myself..."  
  
"That - You-know-who did not say anything like that!"  
  
"Now lead me to Hogwarts and I'll explain to everyone. I'll tell you on our way there."  
  
The wizard led him to Hogwarts. It wasn't a long journey, and in that time Harry told him everything. The wizard was very surprised and very glad that he was the one who met Harry Potter after his death. When they reached the grounds, the wizard left saying he had to do some ministry business.  
  
Now Harry was alone, but at home: Hogwarts. There he had to meet Dumbledore or someone.  
  
He entered through the walls. It was a strange feeling. It was as if he entered in water. He was at the second floor, in a classroom. He left on the known way exactly to Dumbledore's office.  
  
He entered through the stone gargoyle and the door, and stopped at the entrance.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him. He looked as if his wish became true. He was very surprised, and, as never, he could not find words.  
  
"I'm back", said Harry. "This time, as a ghost."  
  
"Y-You became a ghost! Oh, it was obvious!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"The only wizards who become ghosts are those very strong, usually mago-wizards, but not only, and who are still needed by people. And you are a mago-wizard and... We need you. Everyone needs you."  
  
"Why? How can I help?"  
  
"Being a ghost is like a last chance. There were very few people who took the chance. This is a last chance to get back to your normal state! Now I should call Erised in some way... but how?" He paused thinking. Then, he asked "But Harry... Tell me how you died."  
  
Harry explained him everything. About the care of magical creatures class, the dragon, the Riddle House, what Voldemort said and about the curse he failed.  
  
Dumbledore stood there, thinking. "Why did the spell kill you instead of him. And you say he has a scar now..."  
  
"Yes, professor. It was the same effect as at his downfall."  
  
"Then, I have no idea... I say we should try and bring you back to life... Then, we will see... You are our only chance of winning... And if you say he has your blood, and you cannot remove it, then I do not see any way... except of killing both you and Erised. And that will not be of any use."  
  
"Professor... I am already dead."  
  
"Oh, yes I forgot... Sorry for this... We will find the way to stop those connections if we'll go to his base of operations. And I heard he left the Riddle House after killing you. Now, Harry, I will go to the library to find the resurrection book, where I will see how to reattach you to your body. You should find your friends... Go to classes, you will need them. Being a ghost cannot stop you from that. Just that you won't practice anything."  
  
Harry left the office and went to the gryffindor tower. It was empty. It had to be time for classes. If it was lunch, Dumbledore was in the Great Hall, not in his office.  
  
He decided to wait for the gryffindors to arrive. In that time, he thought of Moaning Myrtle... She was a ghost, too. Dumbledore said the ones who are turned to ghosts are still needed by people. And she said no one was interested in her. Harry wondered in which house she was.  
  
After some time, the portrait swung open. Some second years entered. They looked scared. Harry wanted to know why. He hid himself after a sofa and listened.  
  
"He is really frightening!"  
  
"Did you see? He looked familiarized with them!"  
  
"And that monster almost bit me!"  
  
Harry thought immediately at Hagrid. Who else could be familiar with monsters?  
  
"But how did he get it?"  
  
"I do not know... But Snape is really mad!"  
  
Snape? What could Snape bring in class? Harry did not imagine what monsters did he need for potions. There were many potion ingredients that were parts of monsters. Only a few weeks ago he brought an evil monster which looked like a spiked rat, they needed its spikes for a screaming potion (Whoever drank it started screaming).  
  
He saw that on the portrait hole entered the fifth years. Ron and Hermione were amongst them.  
  
They were talking about the previous class, which was History of Magic.  
  
"How boring! If Binns will make them like this, I will try to quit it!" said Ron.  
  
"Quit it? Ron! This is boring but we will need them -"  
  
"Need them? For what? What am I interested in the goblin rebels' attacks on the wizards?"  
  
Ron was really angry. This was the last class for today. Ron stood exactly on the sofa where Harry was hiding.  
  
"Hello Ron", he said.  
  
"What?" asked Ron. He looked scared.  
  
"What happened?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I - I thought I heard Harry's voice!"  
  
"You really miss him, don't you?" asked Hermione. "I miss him, too... But we won't be able to bring him back..."  
  
"Yes you will", said Harry.  
  
Both Ron and Hermione seemed to hear that.  
  
"Was it - really - Harry?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Of course it was him!"  
  
"Meet me at five o'clock in the transfiguration classroom!", said Harry. "I will be there."  
  
"How?" asked Ron. "How are you speaking to us?"  
  
"You will see", said Harry. He entered through the floor in the room beneath the gryffindor common room. It was a room he had never seen before. It wasn't marked on the marauder's map either.  
  
The room had dark gray walls. It was quite large. On each of the walls was a white sphere, it looked as a light.  
  
In the middle there was a mysterious machine. It was black as his hair. Harry could not see exactly what it was; the black color stopped him from seeing it. There was something moving.  
  
He stood there watching and examining the machine. Then he realized it was already five o'clock. He had to be in the transfiguration classroom.  
  
Ron and Hermione were already there. They were waiting and looking around. Harry was near the ceiling.  
  
"Hello", he said.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked up. Their faces suddenly changed.  
  
"Harry!", said Ron.  
  
"You are... a ghost?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Yes, I am. Fortunately..."  
  
Harry told them the entire story.  
  
"So, you killed yourself?" asked Ron.  
  
"That was not killing himself!!!" said Hermione.  
  
"Yes, it was", said Harry. "Partially. I shot the curse, really."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"What happened in the care of magical creatures class?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, it was horrible... Actually it was not a lauron. It was... You-know-who himself. He took shape of one, and he waited for Hagrid to get him. Then he started changing shapes."  
  
"Voldemort?" asked Harry. "That was why I woke up at the Riddle House!"  
  
"Yes. After the dragon hit you and you became unconscious, the dragon turned into Voldemort. He told us and Hagrid that we will never see you again. After that a... blue thunder hit both of you... And after that, you were gone."  
  
That was maybe another mago-wizard spell. Or why not a mage spell? Voldemort had Erised's powers and now that he knew about magi learning a new spell couldn't be hard.  
  
"Dumbledore said that I can be brought back to life... To my body. I have no idea how, but that was what he said."  
  
Ron looked a bit happier, but Hermione didn't.  
  
"How? I mean How can we bring you back? I have read that there is a possibility but... really... it is impossible to do, just think. No one had done it for one thousand years... How can we do it if no one did it for a so long time?"  
  
"Trust Dumbledore", said Harry. "Trust him... If he says something, it is true."  
  
They stood a short time quiet. Then Hermione had a question to ask...  
  
"Harry... How is it to be a ghost?"  
  
"How?" Harry did not say anything for some seconds. "It is impossible to tell... Just... it is a... funny feeling... Imagine now is it to feel as if you have no weight... Very hard to explain... Impossible..." He flew a little over them. "It's nice to be able to fly... to fly by yourself, not with a broom, or an animal or other things..."  
  
After that he went to the ceiling and entered through it. He went to the gryffindor common room, he wanted to greet his fellow gryffindors.  
  
The ones who saw him were more than surprised, and stood thunderstruck. No one moved in the few moments after Harry was there.  
  
"That... is Harry Potter!"  
  
"Ghost?"  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Wow... so he does have a chance..." said a seventh year.  
  
"Harry! Welcome back!" said Fred. "Pity you cannot test my newest candy in that state..."  
  
"God, Harry" said Dean Thomas "Everyone thought you are dead!"  
  
"I AM dead!"  
  
Harry went to the bedroom. He did not like how the gryffindors greeted him. It looked more like they did not think at all. Everyone seemed to have lost his mind.  
  
And, they were not to blame. They did not expect seeing him like that... No one did...  
  
He tried to sit on the bed, and he could sit on it. But he could not feel it. The bed was more like a pool to him. But he "floated". Ghosts did not sleep, so he just stood there. He stood and waited until the door was opened.  
  
But it was none of his gryffindor mates. It was Dumbledore.  
  
Harry stood "up"(if you can say that for a ghost) and flew towards Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry...", he said. "I found it... I found the way we will bring you back to life!" Harry looked at what Dumbledore had in his hands. It was a book. He recognized it. It was "Ancient Magic Effects".  
  
How could he forget that? He read about ghost reviving in that book when he wanted to see about Voldemort's powers. Before he knew about magi.  
  
Dumbledore read loud:  
  
"Ghost reviving is a complex procedure. There are needed three wizards. One of them creates a fire in the middle of them and the others need a necklace of the dragonteeth and a silver crystal of the magi. The other two wizards put the artifacts over the fire in the same time, and shot some unknown spells at them. The spells seem to be of the kind that disappeared two hundred years ago."  
  
"So," Harry said, "we surely need a wizard and two magi... or who knows, maybe we need two mago-wizards..."  
  
"We need a mage, a wizard and a mago-wizard. As you see, this book says about things that are unknown. The writers did not know exactly how to do it. But I know who does."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"I am sure the magi know more than we do. We should contact Erised - or will he contact us?"  
  
"I cannot speak to him as a ghost. My powers were diminished when I left the body, as with all the ghosts... Erised should try to contact us... He will do it. I know he will. It's just that when he does, it may be too late."  
  
"I will try to contact him" said Dumbledore "I hope I will manage to do it..."  
  
With that, he left the room. Harry was now in danger of remaining a ghost. How could Dumbledore contact Erised? He wasn't a mage... He couldn't be after all what Erised told him...  
  
Later the fifth year gryffindor boys entered the bedroom, including Ron. They looked as if they had spoken a lot about him in meantime. All except Ron wanted to sleep.  
  
"Harry" said Ron, going towards him "I saw Dumbledore enter the room... as never before. It had anything to do with..."  
  
"Yes, with my bringing to life..." Harry did not want to worry Ron by telling him about the problems with the unknown things needed for the complex spell. "I hope it will be good in final. I can't wait to be a man again... I hate being a ghost... It's very boring and sad..."  
  
Harry now understood what Moaning Myrtle meant with her sadness. She really hated speaking about her at all. Harry didn't feel like he wanted to talk about that either. He wondered how Myrtle would react if she will see him as a ghost...  
  
Ron went to his bed. Harry wondered what to do the night. He could not go to the library because he could not touch books.  
  
Or he did?  
  
He tried touching some things in the room. He tried to interact with one of Ron's parchments. But his hand passed through it as through water.  
  
He tried again, and with the same effect.  
  
Then he wanted to enjoy the freedom he had... He could visit the entire school... No forbidden rooms at all. Filch could not do him anything at all.  
  
The common room was almost empty. Hermione was still doing her homework. He flew near the ceiling so he wasn't noticed by anyone.  
  
Then he left to find other secret rooms. And he knew where he was going to. The eighth floor.  
  
He went to the room he knew. There he saw nothing modified. The room was lighted by three green metal vertical pipes, which were on the table in the middle. The rest of the room was empty. There was nothing changed from the last time he was there.  
  
Harry went to one of the walls and entered through it. It was a thick wall... Maybe there were no secret rooms at all in the whole floor, thought Harry. Then at last he exited the wall and entered a big room.  
  
It was colored with green and lots of plants stood near the window. In the middle there was a magical fire, which was at the top of some other plants.  
  
Harry looked around. There were many chairs and students - luckily, no one had seen him yet. Harry knew where he was.  
  
That was the Hufflepuff common room. He was near the ceiling, the room was very high. The entrance had to be at the fourth floor or something like that.  
  
Harry left the room and went to the eighth floor small room again. Surely he wasn't welcome in the hufflepuff common room...  
  
From the small room he took another wall and walked through it. That was not thick at all, after a short time he exited the school. He was outside. One of the towers were near him - that was the Gryffindor tower.  
  
Back to the small room, he tried anywhere near it but he had found nothing.  
  
Then someone entered the small room. Harry hid himself fast in a corner, hoping that he won't be seen.  
  
Harry could not say who the person was until he went near the pipes. The green light showed his face - it was Lupin. He touched ne of the pipes and he took his hand very fast off it. It seemed as if he was burned.  
  
He took a glove and took the pipe slow. He then left the room. Harry had to see where he was going. He followed Lupin on many staircases, and they stopped in front of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Voldemort!" said Lupin and the gargoyle moved itself.  
  
"Remus... Have you done it?" asked Dumbledore's voice. Harry could hear them.  
  
"Yes. Here it is... What do you think it is?"  
  
"These three pipes were put here a long time ago... Let me inspect it. Give it to me."  
  
"Be careful, it burns. It emits radiations."  
  
Dumbledore started muttering to himself "So... this is an ancient spell... no, this is... yes, so if we do..."  
  
There was a loud bang, as if the pipe exploded.  
  
"Albus!" asked Lupin. "Are you all right?"  
  
"No... Please... take me to the... hospital... wing..."  
  
Harry flew higher. Lupin ran to the hospital, Dumbledore was floating after him. Harry followed; he wanted to find out more.  
  
"Poppy..." said Lupin "Dumbledore was blasted by a spell... I do not know what it was. We should ask him."  
  
"Oh my goodness! This is not good..."  
  
Harry could now see them well. He was hidden after a bed. Madam Pomfrey took a glass of water and put some ingredients inside. The water turned green. She prepared the potion. She tried to make Dumbledore drink it, and after many tries, she managed to do it a little help from Lupin.  
  
Dumbledore opened his eyes. He looked fine now.  
  
"What happened?" asked Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"I tried to look at a eutherian pipe. They were created very long time ago. I did not know what they were until I put a ceresalius spell on it. The spell had to allow me inspect it better, and identify it. And the only objects that have protection are the eutherian pipes! When I tried the charm it exploded. Lucky that I dodged some of the explosion... That could be fatal. That was an Avada Kedavra Explosion."  
  
"But... what are the Eutherian pipes?" asked Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Eutherian pipes... They are some magical pipes that created a strong magical field in one place. There had to be four - and there were only three... There were four because they were created by the creators of Hogwarts. One by each. What I opened had to be Salazar Slytherin's pipe... I think I know which one is missing..."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Godric's. It had to be there... I have no idea about them except what I said. No one knew that they were still at Hogwarts... Some tried to find them, but with no success... And look who knew where they are! Voldemort... You remember when he sent Arkatis to destroy Hogwarts? He went to that secret room... I think Voldemort stole Godric's pipe."  
  
"But what did they do?" asked Lupin.  
  
"The magical fields near Hogwarts are generated by those pipes. The Hogwarts' Defense is mostly created by them. All the defense except the spells I've put... Now I have to go to see more about them."  
  
"But you have to stay another five minutes to relax -"  
  
"No, thanks, Poppy. Bt I must go."  
  
With that Dumbledore stood up... And Harry could be seen... He entered through the floor and flew through the walls until he was out in a room. He was exactly where he did not want to be. The Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.  
  
Myrtle could not be seen, and Harry tried his chance of getting away before she noticed him. But he was too late.  
  
"You?" she asked. "You are a ghost?"  
  
"Yes... unfortunately."  
  
"Take place here... You are welcome...", she said.  
  
"No, than.. Oh, I-I..."  
  
"Come on! Stay here..."  
  
Then Harry had a desire to stay. He had a question to ask...  
  
"Ok, I'll stay. But will you tell me if ghosts can... touch things?"  
  
"Ooooh, it's a very hard question... I heard of some ghosts that did it... But I never tried it..."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"I have a small idea of how they did it..."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes... I heard from Nearly-Headless Nick some things... He said ghosts have to... fill themselves with energy... I still do not know how... Why don't you ask him?"  
  
Harry wanted to go to ask Nick. He flew a small time and then "Harry! Don't go!" It was Myrtle who wanted him to stay. "I never had the occasion to speak to a young ghost..." Harry tried to ignore her. He knew that he needed to see Nick as soon as possible. He wanted to touch things as a ghost...  
  
But then he suddenly stopped. Where could he find Nearly-headless Nick?  
  
He was nowhere to be seen - Harry searched any room in the school. He went to the gryffindor tower and bid his time until the next day.  
  
He was in the Great Hall when the breakfast started. He was there with the other ghosts. And he had seen someone that was never seen there - Myrtle...  
  
She wanted to talk to Harry... He told her about his intentions, how everyone needs him alive and how they are working to put him back to his body.  
  
Harry then went to ask Nick about touching things...  
  
"Oh, touching things?" he asked. "take a look."  
  
Nick flew to the gryffindor table and pulled a glass of water.  
  
"See, it's not as hard as it looks like. You have to concentrate... Really it's hard to understand how a ghost can "concentrate", but there is a way." He explained a long time how to do it. Harry did not do it at the first time, and the second try was half-successful. "See, Harry... It is easy. Just a few more tries and you will do it!"  
  
Nick was right. Harry did it after three tries and it wasn't hard to do...  
  
"But, Harry. Be careful, as the ghosts have very little energy... You can touch small things for a short time. That's all what a ghost can do..."  
  
Then he took Harry to a private place, near the ceiling.  
  
"Harry", he whispered, "You were a mago-wizard?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"So was I. Most of the mago-wizards become ghosts. There are very few wizards who were made ghosts... Take Myrtle and Peeves for example. I have no idea why they were made ghosts..."  
  
He and Nick became good ghost friends. They talked a long time after the breakfast was over. The gryffindor fifth years had Divination, and Harry wasn't interested in that. Nick found out about Harry's intentions.  
  
"Really, Harry. This is a very difficult thing... I do not know how to do it... But I can lead you to the Mago-Wizard palace. There they will tell you exactly how it is done."  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"I hope you will do it!"  
  
Then Harry left to Divination... He wanted to listen to what Trelawney had to say.  
  
"Weasley! This is a death omen! Really, you have as much as Potter..." She sad in a poor-you voice. "And he died."  
  
Ron looked quite terrified about that. He no longer ignored Trelawney's signs after Harry's death.  
  
Harry flew down in front of the students, near Trelawney.  
  
He told everyone he wants to assist in the classes, and he did. Trelawney accepted, looking at him every second.  
  
The class finished after Trelawney predicted Ron's death continuously.  
  
"Ron, you have no reason to be so scared", said Harry.  
  
"Yes I have... Look at you! You are dead... and she predicted your death for two years! I wonder if I will die after two years, too..."  
  
"You won't! She started predicting your death only because you made her angry!"  
  
"Harry's right", said Hermione who joined them. "You won't die."  
  
"Why do you think that?" asked Ron.  
  
"Oh god", Harry said and he flew high, he was bored of Ron now.  
  
Harry understood that he did not like talking to living-ones anymore. He mostly enjoyed talking to other ghosts... Harry couldn't wait to be alive again and to have Ron and Hermione his best friends again. He went to the transfiguration classroom through the walls. He with McGonagall waited the other students to arrive to start a lesson.  
  
He was really bored... Most of the time McGonagall tried to make Neville able to transfigure a rat into a watch.  
  
At lunch Dumbledore called Harry for a talk.  
  
"Harry, I talked to Sir Nicholas and he told me that he will go to ask the mago-wizards about the chance. Tomorrow we'll have it, and we will bring you back to your body."  
  
"He will go alone?"  
  
"Yes. I insisted that he should take you with him but he said he wanted to leave immediately and it could take some time to find you."  
  
That was all what Dumbledore had to tell him. And he had just to wait for the next day to come... 


	11. The necklace of the DragonTeeth

CHAPTER ELEVEN: NECKLACE OF THE DRAGONTEETH  
  
Nearly Headless Nick returned later than he thought. It took him three days. The three days Harry tried to read some books from the library. He asked Madam Pince to put them down and he read them. He turned the pages with the trick Nick had taught him.  
  
At Nick's return Harry was asked to go into Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Harry", Dumbledore said, "Sir Nicholas spoke to the magi and the mago-wizards. There is a spell where are needed one wizard, one mage and a mago-wizard. It is called "Aducere la viata". The wizard creates a fire - a very strong wizard fire. The mage has to put a crystal of the magi on the fire. The wizard starts an enchantment - a long one. The mago-wizard helps the wizard with the complicated spell. The crystal should turn purple, and then the mage has to do a... spell and the wizard has to do a Ferethas charm. Then, the mago-wizard puts the necklace of the dragonteeth over the fire surrounding the crystal. He does another spell, and then the fire turns into a cyan sphere created of a mage gas. There we have to put your body and your ghost. Then, you will be back to your body."  
  
He turned to Fawkes who started flying. "You want some food? Here." Dumbledore took a white round plate and created with a spell some red food. Fawkes ate it immediately.  
  
"So, Harry. The mage we will sure will be Erised - and he will call the mago-wizard. They should arrive tomorrow. But first we have to find your body, the crystal and a necklace of the dragonteeth."  
  
"How?" asked Harry. "My body was at the Riddle House... They may have moved it anywhere."  
  
"Yes, Harry. That will be a difficult job. But first we shall find the other two requirements."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"The crystal of the magi... There are many in the world. I think I will go to the magi to take one. They should have one. And the necklace... It's a very rare artifact. It is a necklace that has on it the teeth of a dragon - And it is imbued with a rare magical power. I think there are only two in the world, and one of them... is not far away from here."  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"I think it is at Eurazal, a castle hidden from Muggles exactly as Hogwarts. Inside it burns the Fire of the Ancients that guards the necklace. Only a very skilled wizard can walk through that fire. And ghosts."  
  
"But how...?"  
  
"I think you will look for it, but you will have to take someone with you. I wanted to say to tell Ron and Hermione - but it wasn't a good idea. They are not qualified wizards. And there are some guards - the only guards that can hurt ghosts. They are the ghost hunters, the ghywools. They have a breath that can kill a ghost."  
  
"Kill... a dead man?"  
  
"Yes, kill. The affected ghost would be nothing more than air."  
  
Harry was then pierced by a cold spine in his back. He did not like the sound of the ghywools at all.  
  
"You will choose a group that will come with you. I know you are the person who will take it."  
  
Harry then left the office, through the left wall. He was outside the school again. He went to the gryffindor tower.  
  
The persons who he had to take were hard to choose. He really thought of Ron and Hermione - but what use? He had to take some professors, of course. He thought of McGonagall and Flitwick.  
  
Then, an idea came to his mind. If he took some professors he could take Ron and Hermione, too. Then he flew to Hermione who stood at a table doing her homework.  
  
"Oh, hi, Harry!"  
  
"Hello..."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It's about the resurrection."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Dumbledore said he heeds a necklace of the dragonteeth to do it. And it is in a castle." Harry told her about the castle, and that he had to take some persons to accompany him.  
  
"Really, I and Ron could help. If you call McGonagall and Flitwick, we will surely take it successfully."  
  
"But, Hermione, do you have any idea about what creatures live inside it? The Ghywolls?"  
  
"Yes. I know all about them. Wizards easily kill them. They can only hit ghosts. Tell Professor Dumbledore that I'll come with Ron, McGonagall and Flitwick - if they agree of course."  
  
"okay."  
  
Harry left the common room and went to Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry! Welcome back! Have you decided already?"  
  
"Yes, professor."  
  
"So... Who will come?"  
  
"I decided that Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will be enough, and Ron and Hermione should come, too."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because..." Harry did not know exactly why he wanted Ron and Hermione to come.  
  
"I understand you. Have you asked anyone?"  
  
"Just Hermione."  
  
"Then, Harry... Ask Ron because I will go to Minerva and Filius."  
  
With that, he left the office. Harry was flying towards the gryffindor tower where he asked Ron about that. He agreed. Harry did not even think that Ron wouldn't agree with that.  
  
The rest of the day the three of them waited for a sign from the professors about the plan, while Ron and Harry were playing chess. Harry only told Hermione what to move because touching them was hard. And they played long enough, because Dumbledore came to the common room only the next day.  
  
He said the search had to start. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick waited just outside the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked (or flew in Harry's case) to them.  
  
They got out of the castle. Dumbledore was still with them.  
  
"Now I will go to find the crystal of the magi. Good luck in finding and taking the necklace" he said.  
  
"Thank you, answered Flitwick. "We will need it."  
  
With that, they left the grounds. It was quite cold; it was the end of November. They walked a long distance, McGonagall and Flitwick were in front, leading the way; Harry, Ron and Hermione were after them. They were talking about the possible dangers and creatures that waited them in the Eurazal castle.  
  
Their walk to the castle was uneventful. After about two hours of walking the road split up in two different ways. They knew the castle was on the left road and they continued their road.  
  
After about one hour, they entered a dark forest.  
  
"Be careful here" said Flitwick "This is the Forest of Newronne. Dangerous creatures live in here. It is possible that we will meet some. After the forest, which is not very long, we will see the castle of Eurazal."  
  
It was very hard to move in the forest. The trees were quite close one of each other.  
  
After a short time, Harry, who was flying at a small distance from the ground, saw something small, red moving near a root of a tree. "There!" he said. Everyone looked at the place where Harry was pointing.  
  
"It is a Neteree. It's a creature that looks like a tiny red dragon, at most one feet high, and works and thinks like a spider. It can shoot a spider web at someone. The affected person won't be able to move if the Neteree completes the attack. Now be careful -- let me kill it."  
  
Harry was still up in the air. Being a ghost, he could not be hit by the web shot by a Neteree. He saw how Flitwick walked slow and in a complete silence at a small distance to the creature.  
  
"Adamonia!" said Flitwick, wand pointed at the tree near the Neteree. A golden bird shot out of the wand. It hit the tree, and both of them exploded. The Neteree looked hurt by the explosion. "That was a useful spell. It creates a random bird that flies fast in a straight line. If it hits anything solid both the bird and the solid thing explode. They can knock out anything in a small radius from the explosion. This killed the Neteree. It was too close to the tree."  
  
Everyone passed the neteree. It was indeed looking like a small dragon. It was red, and with very thin yellow lines on some spots. One if its wings was almost cut by the explosion.  
  
After a short walk McGonagall stopped. She was looking in all directions.  
  
"What happened?" asked Hermione.  
  
McGonagall did not answer. She was looking up.  
  
It seemed only she could see what was up, over the tall trees. None of them could see anything. Harry flew high in the air. The first thing he saw was at a long distance from where they were. The Eurazal castle was a tall castle that looked almost like Hogwarts - but darker. Or was it just dark because it was night?  
  
No, how could it be possible to be night. They left in the morning and they were out for about four hours.  
  
He continued looking at the distant castle. The towers were not so high as those of Hogwarts. On the wall there were some bright red points. They were lighting the castle a little.  
  
After a short time looking, Harry wanted to go back to the group. And he accidentally looked up. Seeing the castle he forgot why he was there.  
  
And he saw nothing else than the Dark Mark, darkening the sky. It was floating at a small distance from his spot. It was from the point they came from. Hogwarts.  
  
The Dark Mark was floating over Hogwarts and Dumbledore was not there - he was after the crystal of the magi! Did Voldemort attack the school again?  
  
Harry went to the ground again.  
  
"What happened?" asked Hermione again. Harry was frightened to say it. But he had to.  
  
"The Dark Mark is floating over Hogwarts!"  
  
"WHAT?" she asked. On Ron's and Flitwick's could be seen the terror. They took the mark worse than Harry did.  
  
"We still have to look for the necklace!" said McGonagall, who wasn't looking up anymore. "If we don't find it this will be the end of the light side. Now let's hurry up."  
  
They obeyed McGonagall's request. Harry knew that was the only thing they could do. It took them a too long time to return to Hogwarts, and they were so close to the Eurazal.  
  
"Let's go!" said Harry at last. They started walking. McGonagall pulled her wand out. The other living ones did the same.  
  
They were moving very fast. Harry did not have any problems with that. And neither with trees. He usually went through them. Once, Harry flew over the trees to see if the Mark was still there - it wasn't. And the castle was very close too. The sky was a light blue again.  
  
When he was down, he saw the group stopped. And he saw why.  
  
A small snake was attacking a blue creature - a creature that Harry had never seen before. It was quite small; it had two blue, hairy legs, a spherical body with two hands from its front, which were used as wings too judging by the way they looked like. It had a head as big as its body, blue and with small spikes instead of ears.  
  
"What is that, professor?" he asked.  
  
"That is a blue Scheezer. It won't have a chance against the snake, but there are really dangerous to wizards. They have the power to shoot ice with their hands. And if you touch any of the spikes on its head, you suddenly freeze and die. But they cannot affect reptiles."  
  
The scheezer was shooting ice spikes to the snake, which dodged them easily. Some hit it but with no effect. The snake was closing to the scheezer and tried to bite it.  
  
The scheezer had very good reflexes. It dodged the snake's mouth. But that was until an end - the scheezer was bit by the snake, and fell on the ground. It changed its color, turning a very light blue. It was almost white.  
  
"Let me do the thing with the snake. I suppose I still am a parselmouth, even if I am a ghost." The team nodded.  
  
He flew next to the snake. "Leave... Go far away from this place"  
  
"Fine", answered the snake. It turned back and moved out of sight.  
  
"Come on, it's clear!" said Harry. The professors, Ron and Hermione came to him, running.  
  
"We must hurry up!" said McGonagall.  
  
They walked a little. And after a minute, they saw light. They reached its end. The trees were not as close to each other as before. Harry was the first one to exit the forest. He saw the castle right in front of him. The red points he was were the windows. Inside the castle was fire. The fire of the Ancients was burning inside the castle and it protected the necklace.  
  
After a small time admiring the place, he heard something flying. It was a creature, a flying ghostly creature, looking as a man with wings. It was looking to him. "Ghost! I am so hungry... Come to me..." it said with a mysterious, cold voice. It was almost as the basilisk's.  
  
Harry almost panicked. It was a Ghywool. He ran back to the forest.  
  
"Do not go... I haven't eaten... for so long..."  
  
Harry met McGonagall. "A Ghywool! There!" McGonagall ran to the spot Harry showed and pointed her wand at the ghywool. A white straight beam erupted from McGonagall's wand. The beam was looking as white and transparent as a ghost. A loud "eeeaaaaarhhhh" could be heard; it was the sound the ghywool made when it died.  
  
"That was a simulation of the ghost. The Ghywool's dead, Potter."  
  
Harry was with the group. He did not want to be killed by a ghywool. McGonagall stepped out of the forest the first. Then, Flitwick. Harry flew careful to not meet his doom. Ron and Hermione were the last ones to come out.  
  
A very high-pitched, continuous voice could be heard. It was almost as the ghost opera Harry heard in the second book. It was as if lots of high voices were saying "aaa" and "uuu" at the same time. Harry felt lucky he was a ghost - it could not affect him as it affected the others.  
  
Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, Ron and Hermione were with their hands over their ears. It seemed they could not resist the sound.  
  
"It's a screemer, Potter! You have to stop it if it is possible... With all the ghywools here..." shouted McGonagall. "We cannot bear the sound!"  
  
"What to do?" he asked. But he realized no one could hear him. They were with their hands on the ears. He had to decide on the spot. It was really hard...  
  
Harry thought again about the situation. There were many ghywools around that could kill him at any time. And, inside the castle, there was a screemer that started "singing" and no one could help Harry to kill the ghywools, who could feel ghosts. Harry had no chance. And neither the other members of the group.  
  
Then, the door to the castle opened with a loud bang. After some seconds, a shape exited out... It was a human shape.  
  
It resisted the sounds of the screemer. And he looked friend with the creatures that lived there. An undead zombie accompanied him. After then there came another human shape - a vampire. Harry could see all of that easily.  
  
The human turned to Harry and spoke.  
  
"Harry Potter." He stopped; the zombie and the vampire did the same. Then he turned to the castle. "Kwizztrek kwookawroow" The screemer stopped. Harry's party took their hands off their ears. "Hogwarts wizards... What are you doing here?"  
  
"We - er... We need..." said Harry.  
  
"We need the necklace of the dragonteeth!" said McGonagall.  
  
"Harry Potter is a ghost..." he said "Pity for him that we... the guardians of the Eurazal do not allow anyone to steal out most valuable artifacts."  
  
"The Dark Wizards are destroying and killing everything!" said Harry. "I am the only hope. I have to be revived to stop him. I am the only one who can do that." The wizard looked at the sky.  
  
"I saw the dark mark... over Hogwarts."  
  
"I saw it, too" said Harry "We were on our way to this Eurazal castle when it happened."  
  
"That is not good news for you. But to me, it doesn't even matter. I suppose you did not know, but we the Eurazal guards are not on your side."  
  
Harry did not know. The Eurazal was on the dark side?  
  
"You -- are helping Voldemort?"  
  
"Him? Noooo... We are just guarding the necklace of the dragonteeth and the other less-valuable artifacts in this castle. And you will never get it from us. Only if you can beat all the guards... And you, the ghost of Harry Potter, you will not be a ghost for a long time... My ghywools will come if I want to."  
  
Everyone was quiet. Ron and Hermione were terrified about the events. Harry and the professors did not know what to say. The situation was over the expected.  
  
"Now... I will give you one last chance... to retreat! If you want to retreat do it now... Or else, rest in peace... dead on the grounds of the Eurazal castle."  
  
McGonagall turned to Harry. "Really... We will die anyway. I say we should try our luck with the necklace..."  
  
"Yes, professor. I agree."  
  
"So... What's your decision?"  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" said McGonagall. The green light hit the man in the chest. He fell dead. Harry knew that after that, they could not retreat. The zombie and vampire started attacking. They died easily. McGonagall transfigured both of them into eggs and broke them.  
  
Then, about twenty ghywools came out of the castle. McGonagall and Flitwick were shooting the same spell McGonagall shot at the first ghywool. Hermione tried to do the same, and she managed it. Harry was well hidden and could not be harmed easy.  
  
The twenty ghywools died very quick. Then, the screemer started "singing" again.  
  
The four humans had to put their hands again on their ears.  
  
"This is our end!" said McGonagall. "Look!"  
  
Another two ghywools appeared from one of the towers. Harry did not know what to do. His last help was ended - the screemer stopped his defenders from acting. And then he saw McGonagall moved.  
  
She took her hands off her ears and killed both ghywools with one quick spell. But after she put her hands back, she fell to the ground, unconscious. Her ears were uncovered. The screemer did not stop yet.  
  
Harry knew what to do. He hoped the ghywools were all dead and he went straight to the castle.  
  
He entered through the wall. He stopped inside a huge room. He was in the necklace room. He looked around.  
  
There was no ghywool. Many other creatures were standing inside. There was a circular fire burning around the middle. There had to be the necklace. The fire was burning very high. It reached the very high ceiling.  
  
Harry remembered what Dumbledore said and entered the fire of the ancients. He was sure all the room had to be hot - all the creatures were fire-based. The fire was quite thick. Then he was out of it.  
  
If the fire was a wall, he would be standing in the middle of a small, high circular room which had a big stone-made wall in the middle.  
  
Over it was some kind of a stone table. It sustained a high column, with many square holes in it. It sustained a chair. Over it was the screemer. It was like a big head with thin legs and arms. It reminded him of Voldemort. Why, he didn't know.  
  
"Damn you!" said Harry. He took some energy and punched it in the mouth. It suddenly shut up. It gave a furious look at Harry. It surely looked for a ghywool. "There are no ghywools here... all of them are DEAD!"  
  
Harry flew back at the column. Hw looked more attentively at it. The fire around him looked even lighter.  
  
The stone table had a small trapdoor on its top. Harry wanted to open it. He wondered if it was a good thing to do that.  
  
Then he decided to enter through it, to see what is hidden inside. He saw a golden cube. The trapdoor opened automatically. Harry could see the bright, golden cube shining. A stone platform inside the table pulled it up. Harry saw it well. And he looked at the holes inside the column. They were exactly the size of the cube.  
  
Harry took some energy from the air and tried to take the cube. He couldn't do it. His hand passed through the material. Then the screemer started "singing" again.  
  
Harry flew up very fast. He punched the screemer again. It stopped. Then it moved. It flew through the fire. Harry hoped it would go outside, where it could be an easy target for professor Flitwick.  
  
Harry saw the golden cube again. It lifted itself in the air. That made it easier to touch... And Harry did it. He pulled the cube inside one of the holes.  
  
The column, which had a light gray color, turned golden. It emitted more light than the fire itself. The fire stopped suddenly. Every creature looked at him.  
  
That made Harry uncomfortable. He tried to ignore them.  
  
Then he was stopped by another scream - the screemer started "singing" again. Or was it? The sound was different. It faded out.  
  
The column was shining more than before. The creatures did not look as energetic as before. The burning ones died. Then the chair where the screemer stood fell down, through Harry, and broke when it hit the ground.  
  
The golden column rose into the air. On the table, in the same place where the column stood, was a strange thing. It was the necklace of the dragonteeth.  
  
It was created from a thin rope and on it were some big teeth. Those had to be teeth of a dragon, after the artifact's name. And Harry tried to take it.  
  
It was strange. He could touch it as if he was with his body. Dumbledore said it was completely magical.  
  
Harry put it around his neck. Every creature in the room died. The necklace had a very strange connection with the castle. Now Harry understood why the guards did not want to give it away. They died if they had done so.  
  
Harry could not enter through the walls with the artifact. That was a solid object. Harry had to exit on the door.  
  
Ron and Hermione stood up, Flitwick and McGonagall were lying on the ground. "I GOT IT!" shouted Harry so he could be heard from a big distance. "THE NECKLACE IS OURS!" He showed it to his friends. Then he stood near them.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It was the screemer, Harry... McGonagall did not move at all from the time she casted the spell to kill the two ghywools. And -- The screemer came outside. Flitwick shot a blue cloud spell on it. Then, when it died, it made a sound worse than all... It was a scream of death! We two managed to hide our ears, but Flitwick was still occupied with the spell."  
  
"We should go back to Hogwarts... quick..." said Harry. But his thoughts were stopped. What happened to Hogwarts when the Dark Mark was cast?  
  
"Really... I think all our hopes are lost. The two professors are... unconscious. At least I hope that. I hope they are not dead. And we think Hogwarts was attacked again. Dumbledore was away - or at least that's what we think. Who could defend it against Voldemort again?"  
  
"We should go to Hogwarts, anyway. If not we will die here. Even if all the creatures here died when I touched the necklace, we will starve here... And the forest is dangerous. Ron, why are you so quiet?"  
  
"Forget him. He is just quiet."  
  
"Forget me?" asked Ron. "Now I think Harry's right. We should go to Hogwarts... quick! Let's go!"  
  
"Mobilicorpus!" said Hermione pointing to McGonagall's body. It was lifted in the air. Ron did the same to Flitwick. Harry looked back to the castle - the fire of the ancients started burning again... At least it wasn't home of some evil creatures anymore.  
  
The three, followed by the floating professors, started passing the forest. They did not meet any dangerous creature inside, but it took them a really long time to find an exit. The familiar road that went to Hogwarts could be seen from the place where they were. It looked as if anyone was afraid of them, after what they've done. Then Harry remembered he had the necklace of the dragonteeth, which he put again on his neck. It had a good effect over the creatures in the forest.  
  
Then Harry could hear a distant voice. It seemed it was in his mind.  
  
"The necklace has been moved, my Lord... Harry Potter will raise again!" said a voice. He recognized it. That was Wormtail.  
  
"I felt that... The whole fortress at Eurazal has been broken! But it is nothing compared to what we managed to do..." That was the cold voice Harry knew it was Voldemort.  
  
"How did they? And who?"  
  
"That was Harry Potter's ghost accompanied by some wizards! I felt it... And we should stop them from accomplishing their plans. Do you have any idea?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord" answered another voice. That was Lucius Malfoy. "We will catch them... They are on one of the roads that lead to Hogwarts. We will wait for them there."  
  
"No, Lucius. I say we should attack them while they are at the castle. Harry will not stop even if we will kill his friends. And the necklace is well protected... It likes being in the hands of a ghost. We have to wait until they will reach Hogwarts and they will leave the necklace unguarded. Then we will steal it... I will do that myself."  
  
The voices stopped. Harry could see where he really was in the time he heard the voices, but could not hear anything around him. Then he said to Hermione:  
  
"Voldemort. Again. I had... what I think it was a dream if I was alive. I could hear him."  
  
Harry explained everything to Ron and Hermione. They continued their way to Hogwarts.  
  
It was dark again. That was normal, being in November the night fell quick. They had to hurry. And that was what they did.  
  
After it was really dark, they saw some lights far away... It was Hogsmeade. That was where they went. After a half an hour they reached the village. They entered the three broomsticks. Everyone was surprised to see them there. It was a strange group. One ghost that had the shiny necklace of DragonTeeth, two Hogwarts students and two unconscious teachers.  
  
Everyone was surprised. Harry, Ron and Hermione explained to Madam Rosmerta why they were there late at night and about the professors' knockout.  
  
It was time when they had to do something about the professors... Madam Rosmerta called an old man, which listened to Flitwick's heart. "It is good. He is alive." Then he moved to McGonagall. "Oh... No... She is dead."  
  
Most of the people in there were horrorstruck. They did not like seeing a good wizard (or witch) dead. The wizard tried some "ennervate"s on Flitwick but unsuccessful. "We tried it, too" said Hermione in a low voice.  
  
Then after more spells he did it. Flitwick stood up. He asked what happened after being so surprised when he saw where he was. They explained everything.  
  
"Now, I think it is time to go to Hogwarts... Oh. What happened?" asked Flitwick.  
  
"There was another attack. And it was not as good for us as before..." said another wizard which did not speak until that. Harry recognized him. He was Dumbledore.  
  
"What happened, professor?" asked Harry.  
  
"I was away, searching for the crystal of the magi. And I saw the sky darken... It was the Dark Mark."  
  
"I know, we saw it too."  
  
"Yes... I did not know what to do. To turn back to Hogwarts or to find the crystal? I went to look for the crystal, knowing that if I turned I would be late. And... I found it. I found the crystal. Then when I was back at Hogwarts... It was a very evil sight... And a strange fear entered through me."  
  
"What was that?" asked Harry.  
  
"Hogwarts was heavily attacked. Voldemort and his small group of Death Eaters have accomplished their mission. The Hogwarts Castle... is in a worse state than ever. Voldemort casted another mago-wizard spell... He casted an inferno on the castle."  
  
"WHAT?" asked Hermione. "Inferno?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That means -- Hogwarts is destroyed!"  
  
"That is wrong. Well, it was hit in many places. Some classrooms are inaccessible. The astronomy tower was completely destroyed. Lucky that everyone was in the Great Hall at that moment. It was lunch. At least that is what Sirius, Lupin, Figg and some other teachers told me. They went to fight Voldemort. And that was one of the worst things. We had casualties there. Mundugus Fletcher and Fred Thunder both died in the defense. Severus was hurt, but he was healed fast. I reached quite fast there. I hurried up, and the first thing I did was to send every student home. The Hogwarts castle is empty right now." He took a sphere from his pocket. It was a pure white. That looked just like a crystal ball. "This is the crystal of the magi. I see you have the necklace... I heard everything, but I will need a better explanation of things. Not now, but I will want to listen. The only thing we need is the body. I think you haven't noticed, Harry, that in this room stays Erised himself. We will do the resurrection with Alfro, the wizard that brought Flitwick back to consciousness."  
  
"And... Where to find the body?" asked Harry.  
  
"Ah, it's simple" said a familiar voice... It was Erised. "We ma... I have the power of detecting things if I really want to. But it consumes a lot of energy. Your body will be easy to recover. I'll take it now if you want."  
  
"No, Erised. Just... Wait until tomorrow. It will be better."  
  
"No, Albus. The resurrection has to be done on night."  
  
"Then we will wait until tomorrow night!" said Dumbledore. "Harry... You have one day left to... enjoy? being a ghost. You will never be one again. This is a chance given once per person. Well, there may be some exceptions... Now, We will stay here this night. Then we will see what to do exactly."  
  
Harry really wanted to make the best of his last periods of being a ghost... He liked being able to enter through walls, but he missed his magic. The rest of the night he talked to Ron and Hermione while entering through all the things possible.  
  
"Dumbledore said... the castle was attacked" said Hermione. "But An inferno spell - the firestorm had to destroy it entirely!"  
  
"But remember, Hermione. Voldemort can't use my powers anymore. I am a ghost. And he just used Erised's. And the magic from only one person cannot be used good. That is why he did not destroy the school."  
  
"And - after you will be back to your body... Will he be able to use your powers?"  
  
"I am afraid so."  
  
He practiced his powers of touching things some times. He had a good time until Ron and Hermione went to sleep. 


	12. An unusual Night

CHAPTER TWELVE: An unusual night  
  
Everyone went to sleep. Harry had one more night to spend as a ghost.  
  
He really wanted to visit the Hogwarts castle. He wanted to see what remained of it. The Hogsmeade Village was very small and he knew it by heart. The Hogwarts castle could be seen at a short distance from the place where he was. There were no lights inside the castle. Everything was dark.  
  
Harry decided to go to see it, so he flew as fast as he could towards it. As Harry was approaching the castle, he could see many unusual things.  
  
The Whomping Willow stood as usual, but it looked as if it fought a lot. It seemed tired. The branches were not standing as usually high in the air. They were low and on some were pieces of blood.  
  
The highest towers were no more... All that remained of the astronomy tower were some big stone walls lying on the grass. It collapsed. In the walls were many different-sized holes and some small parts of the walls were destroyed.  
  
Harry entered through the walls inside it... He knew where he would stop - the Great Hall.  
  
It looked quite intact. The large tables were nowhere to be seen but the walls seemed untouched. The ceiling was as usual - it looked as the sky outside.  
  
After Harry explored the castle Harry saw that the Great Hall was the only room untouched. From the entrance Hall Harry could see the sky through some big parts of the walls missing. The stairs weren't as before, too. Then Harry went to the staircases that lead to the upper floors. He was lucky to be a ghost. Entire staircases were missing... Voldemort did a good job there, too. After that he visited some of the classrooms. They were almost normal, only a few holes in the wall, probably created by attacking from outside.  
  
Harry saw that none of the paintings were there. All of them were taken. Where the Fat Lady was before could be seen just an empty frame. Then Harry proceeded to the Gryffindor tower.  
  
From it could be seen the sky too. The tower was attacked, too. Harry thought that Voldemort was a slytherin and slytherins have their opposites, gryffindors. He wondered if the slytherin dungeons were attacked too. He left the gryffindor tower immediately. And he went to the slytherin common room.  
  
After flying some time and looking stunned at what remained of the staircases and how empty the walls were without the pictures, he found himself in the slytherin common room.  
  
He was there once before. In his second year he wanted to spy on Malfoy by transforming himself and Ron into Crabbe and Goyle. And he was right. The dungeons seemed intact. And the chairs were in place too. Those were the only chairs Harry had seen inside the castle that night.  
  
There was a small crack from one corner of the room... A dark, small figure moved in the darkness. It was a human shape.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Harry. He flew towards the person who did not answer. "Who are you?" asked Harry again.  
  
The person started running. He hid his face by turning his head to the opposite of Harry. Then he entered a door.  
  
Harry knew what to do. He wanted to know who was the person who was sneaking in the castle after it was destroyed. The door was closed with a loud bang. Harry flew towards it.  
  
He was in a spiral staircase that lead to a lower level. That had to lead to the bedrooms. And with that Harry stopped. There had to be seven bedrooms. Which one to see?  
  
Then Harry remembered that he was a ghost. He could inspect all of them in a short fly. The first door was on the left. Harry entered through it and he was in a small circular room. On the door said it was the bedroom of the first years. And it was empty.  
  
Harry entered through a wall where he guessed the next room was and after a cold flying he was in another empty room. Then another. And entering through the wall of the next room, he found himself outside.  
  
Back to the castle, he tried all the other rooms. He moved like a normal man, through the doors not walls. All the rooms were empty - or at least looked like empty.  
  
He went to the common room expecting to see the person there. And he saw a white thing flying... it was Nearly-Headless Nick.  
  
"Hey, Harry!" he said.  
  
"Hello, Nick."  
  
"It was you... I heard someone moving in here and I thought it may be a wizard."  
  
"Hmm... I think it was a wizard. I saw one - he entered that door." Harry pointed to the door that lead to the boys dormitories. "I think he is still in there."  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
"I searched once..."  
  
"We will search again. And this time look more attentively."  
  
Harry nodded and did exactly what Nick said. They both searched the rooms. Harry tried the ones on the left of the staircase and Nick, the ones on the right.  
  
The first room was indeed, empty. Harry searched it very attentively. He thought he did not miss any object in that room. Every part was searched. Then he moved to the second room... It was the same. Then the third. Empty, too. But then Harry heard someone running on the stairs.  
  
Harry quickly flew outside that room. The wizard was there indeed. He tried to run.  
  
"You can't hide from a ghost!" said Harry. "Show yourself!" But the person did not stop. He reached the door to the common room, and opened it. "What a coward!" said Harry. The person stopped.  
  
"A coward? Me?" asked the person. Harry knew the voice, even that he hadn't heard it for a long time. It was Draco Malfoy. "I will not chicken to a ghost!"  
  
"You already did, Malfoy!" said Harry. Malfoy was looking straight at Harry, with a delight on his face.  
  
"I did? Look at you! You dared to threaten My Lord, and look what became of you!" Malfoy came closer to Harry... And Harry took the advantage. He just waited for Malfoy to come closer... "You are just a ghost... No longer a wizard! My Lord has accomplished his mission, he had proven who is stronger!" He moved towards Harry... "Good", thought Harry. "Come closer!" "Potter, have you lost your voice?"  
  
Then Harry did what he wanted to do: he gathered some energy in his fist and hit Malfoy in the face. He was pushed back and fell to the ground.  
  
"Voldemort will never have more magic that me." said Harry. He knew that Voldemort was not a mago-wizard...  
  
"Oh Potter, this is wrong... and he proved it." Malfoy said while standing up again. "He proved that he has more magic in him than you!"  
  
"Then, Malfoy... Explain then why I became a ghost when I died and he didn't?" Harry felt quite annoyed. He wanted to find something to beat up Malfoy... something better than fists. "Well, he has no special powers in him. He is just a thief! And one who doesn't dare to fight himself... only by sending his supporters!"  
  
"Potty, Potty. You are always wrong... He dared to kill you himself didn't he? And he attacked several houses by himself... Especially that he attacked Hogwarts!"  
  
Harry remained with no words to say. He had to find something, quick... Or Malfoy would start laughing at him.  
  
The wind was quite strong outside. The stars could not be seen because of the clouds. The wind did the only sound that could be heard. Malfoy stood delighted. Then something came to Harry's mind.  
  
"Well, at least he was beaten by Dumbledore!"  
  
"Dumbledore? My Lord could kill him at anytime -"  
  
"Then why didn't he?" asked Harry. He knew that Malfoy was now wrong... "Voldemort would take any chance to kill Dumbledore!"  
  
"No, Potter... It certainly wasn't Dumbledore... And we know what it is... And you know it too... It was another type of energy. Another type of magic. My Lord told us everything. These magi..." He stopped talking. He was looking outside a window. Then Harry wanted to hit him another time... It could be lots of fun.  
  
Harry looked outside the window too. The clouds were even darker than before. Then Harry didn't know what de did... He acted as controlled by another brain... He heard the wind that made a loud noise. Then, a shiny silvery beam shout out of Harry's hands. It hit Malfoy, who was stunned.  
  
Then wind stopped... completely. Harry did a strong magic... and he was a ghost. That had to remain in history forever. Harry flew close to Malfoy, who was lying unconscious on the floor. What spell Harry shot, he couldn't know.  
  
Then a white thing entered the room. It was Nearly-Headless Nick.  
  
"Nowhere to be seen, Harry" he said. "What?" he asked when he saw that Harry didn't say anything.  
  
Harry looked at Nick. He was really confused. "I found him... and he is right near us." Harry looked at Malfoy... he was still unconscious.  
  
"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy? What is he doing here? And... How did he knock himself out?"  
  
Harry didn't know what to answer. Both of the questions were yet unanswered. "I don't know... I just looked out through the window... Then... I don't know how I did it... Some magic... It hit him and he fell..."  
  
Nick could not find words. He looked even more confused than before. "Magic? A ghost to use spells?"  
  
"Yes..." said Harry while looking at Malfoy. Then he had a strange desire to punch him again... And he did it. "He deserves it! I am sorry they did not resurrect me yet... Malfoy was dead."  
  
"Harry, now... Killing someone isn't just a game or joke..."  
  
"You mean, I cannot kill a Death Eater?" Harry looked at Malfoy. He saw that he had the Dark Mark on his hand... He certainly was a death Eater. "But... what was that spell?"  
  
"I don't know... No other ghost did something as that before. I think it was a kruvlux spell. Magi often used it... As you know I was a mago-wizard. I didn't, because I had better magic in me."  
  
"Now let's do something about Malfoy... We will wait until he will be back to normal."  
  
"You do not have to wait" said Malfoy, standing on his feet. "I know what to do now... Where are the ghywools when you need them?"  
  
Harry saw Nick being frightened. He wondered if he should be scared too. But he wasn't... Nothing what Malfoy said could frighten Harry. Then Malfoy turned to Harry. "Pity I cannot kill you while in a ghost form... I would had done it with pleasure."  
  
"Dream of it!" said Harry. "Soon enough you will see the consequences of joining Voldemort!"  
  
"Never, Potter. I will be his most faithful servant... After what you did to my father, you will have to pay... And then we will see who will laugh! He will do his job well... After moving his base from the Riddle House to the Drumstrang castle!" Then he suddenly out his hands over his mouth. He wasn't allowed to say that... Now Voldemort had no chances. Harry knew where his base was.  
  
Then the wind was noisy again. Was it another spell of Harry's?  
  
A green and yellow smoky sphere was created in front of Malfoy. It emitted a loud noise, even louder than the wind.  
  
"Malfoy, you traitor!" said the cold voice of Lord Voldemort. "You told them where I have my base!"  
  
"S-Sorry, Master... I-I...The...It w-was -- mistake... I swear - I didn't w-want... to do it!"  
  
"Quiet! There is no excuse for that. You have failed me... again! You are just like your father! Potter... How is it to be dead? I am quite glad that you are like that. I would like to see you so."  
  
Then on the sphere apparated Lord Voldemort. He was looking delighted at Harry. Then he suddenly turned to Malfoy.  
  
"Now you, idiot... Come with me!"  
  
"No, Mas- please... no, have mercy..."  
  
Voldemort took Malfoy in his arms and he was heading towards the sphere in the middle. "I do not admit failure! And I have no mercy with those who fail! I did not send you for that. I just wanted you to find that cursed object!"  
  
Harry was looking at them attentively. Maybe Voldemort said what object had Malfoy to find.  
  
Malfoy was still asking Voldemort to have mercy. Harry enjoyed it a lot. He had never seen Malfoy like that. "STOP THAT!" shouted Voldemort at Malfoy, who shut up. "Come on... I hope you will be a good guard of my plans... If you will fail that, too, they will kill us all!"  
  
With that they entered the green smoke and they were gone. The wind stopped too. It was quiet again. Both Harry and Nick were thinking of what they heard... about what happened. Voldemort attacked Hogwarts - probably accompanied by a swarm of Death Eaters and then Malfoy was looking for something... And Voldemort had his base on the Drumstrang castle! There he had some plans that if the light side found, Voldemort will have no chance...  
  
He didn't say what Malfoy was looking for, but he said some very important things. They had to find the plans or whatever they were.  
  
The door to the slytherin common room swung open. Dumbledore and another two persons stepped inside. They certainly ran to the castle. All of them were quite tired.  
  
"Harry! I heard something..." Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry started explaining what happened. He said how he saw someone, how he met Hick, about realizing it was Malfoy, the talking, Voldemort... And then the conclusion... about the plans and the new base. Dumbledore didn't look surprised at all.  
  
"Well, it is time."  
  
Harry was confused. He gave a strange look to Dumbledore.  
  
"We will raise Harry this night. Oh, by the way, I've got his body..."  
  
"How did you find it?" asked one of the other persons. Harry realized it was Erised.  
  
"Oh... It doesn't matter now. Come outside... We'd better do it on the hogwarts grounds... They have a very strong magic in the air... and it will be helpful. Erised? Chalcrad? Ready?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Let's go." All of them went outside. Nick left to Hogsmeade.  
  
"So, you know what we have to do... Foccus!" a jet of fire was created from Dumbledore's wand. "Erised?" He put the crystal of the magi in the fire. "Adu puterea magica. Creaza un element de foc care va renaste fantoma aceasta cu ajutorul celor doua obiecte." Then Chalcrad started an enchantment, too. Harry could not distinguish what they said. He couldn't understand it anyway.  
  
The fire turned green and the crystal was purple. The fire grew higher. "Fereto!" said Dumbledore while Erised did a spell that turned the fire back to its normal color. Harry was watching them.  
  
Chalcrad took from his robes a shiny, glowing object... Harry recognized it as the necklace of the DragonTeeth. He put it slowly around the crystal, which was red as the fire. He pointed his hand to the fire that was now burning in the middle of the crystal. The necklace and crystal were now united. It was a crystal with teeth. The fire burned only in the interior. It turned cyan. Then, suddenly, all three persons surrounding the fire moved back. The crystal was floating in midair. It grew bigger... Then it was a large, cyan spherical object made of a kind of gas.  
  
"Erised!" said Dumbledore. "Take Harry's body and move it to the center of the gas ball!"  
  
He did so and the body remained floating in midair.  
  
"Harry... Go... Go to your body!"  
  
He listened. That was one thing he had to do... at the moment. He flew quite slow to his body. He almost regretted flying... He liked it. And he was the only ghost that did magic!  
  
He stood exactly in the same place as his body. "Don't move!" he heard Dumbledore saying. The noise was growing louder... A wind blowed strong... Harry closed his eyes. He was still in midair, floating... 


	13. Invisibility Problems

[]INVISIBILITY PROBLEMS|  
  
The noise stopped. There was no wind. Harry felt different than before... He had a feeling which he didn't have for a week. He felt that he was lying on something... As a ghost, he could not feel anything before. Harry knew that some time passed from the night when they started his resurrection.  
  
Harry opened his eyes. The only things he saw were a small room, the bed he was lying on, a clock on a wall and the windows. It was light outside. Harry wondered how much time passed. How much he slept.  
  
For a moment, after his instinct, he wanted to fly through the wall to see where he was. But he couldn't move and he remembered that he wasn't a ghost anymore.  
  
The feeling that he was standing on his feet was, too, somehting that he forgot. And he felt so full of energy... It was logical. The ghosts do not have energy... or do they? Harry casted a spell... But that was magic not energy. But magi used energy a lot... and that was a mage spell.  
  
"It's not time to think of these now. I have to see where I am" he thought. And he left on a staircase, stopping at every step and thinking at the feeling he had while moving... and touching the floor. He had a desire that he still was a ghost... he liked it. He will surely miss the times when he was flying, ignoring any wall.  
  
But, no, he thought. I have to be human... not a ghost. And with that thought, he walked down the stairs.  
  
He was in a larger room... It was one of the houses in Hogsmeade. That had to be the shrieking shack. But it didn't look as it looked before... It was now a modern wizard house. The people did a lot of repairing and modifying from the last time he was in it.  
  
On the floor was a multicolored carpet. The walls had a bronze color, torches were placed every meter on it. The staircase looked as the ones from Hogwarts.  
  
In the end of the room was a large, high wooden door. It looked as if it was made for Hagrid. Harry had to get out of the room to see someone.  
  
He swung the door open with all his powers. Then he stepped out of the room; the road in Hogsmeade was in front of him. But it was empty. No living creature was there. Harry went to the Three Broomsticks. On the road he realized that he was in his cloak, and the wand was in the usual pocket.  
  
Inside the bar he saw that wizards stood talking. There were all the Hogwarts teachers and lots of other wizards. When Harry opened the door, everyone looked at him... with a strange look on their faces.  
  
"He is alive!"  
  
"He woke up!"  
  
"Wow! He is still alive!"  
  
What could that be? Everyone was so surprised... What, didn't Dumbledore tell them about it?  
  
"Silence!" said Dumbledore. "I will talk to Harry myself. Ron, Hermione, you should come, too."  
  
Ron and Hermione stood up; Harry hasn't noticed them before. Dumbledore walked to Harry and then outside. Ron and Hermione came after a short time. Dumbledore told them to stop in front of the bar.  
  
"Harry... Welcome back through us!" said Dumbledore.  
  
"What happened? Why was everyone so surprised?" asked Harry.  
  
"There is a reason... a very good one. Everyone thought that you were dead. That you were lost. The spell used to revive you didn't work as it should have been."  
  
"What?" asked Harry. "Why?"  
  
"No one knows that. After you entered your body, you should have gained control over it at the moment. Normally, you had to be alive immediately. And there happened a thing they say it is not normal."  
  
Harry was listening attentively again. As usual, things did not work as they should had.  
  
"Chalcrad said that the Necklace of the Dragonteeth had to remain combined with the crystal of the magi forever. But after you tried to enter the body, it... disappeared. The crystal of the magi was there, looking as nothing happened to it. And the necklace vanished. Your body fell on the ground. And you weren't alive. They said our spell failed - Erised and Chalcrad suggested that you won't be useful anymore. Luckily that I didn't listen to them... I did not want to do anything they said. The only thing I wished was to bring you to our new hotel and keep you there."  
  
"Hotel?"  
  
"Yes... the shrieking shack was rearranged and it is now our hotel. If anyone wants to come from another country, they could stay there."  
  
"How long was I unconscious?"  
  
"Oh" said Hermione. "You stood there for five days..."  
  
"Five days?" asked Harry surprisingly.  
  
"Yes..." said Dumbledore. "And now we have to talk about more important things. Like... that night."  
  
"What?" asked Harry.  
  
"Sir Nicholas told me that Draco Malfoy was looking for something in the slytherin common room. He said that he met you there and you two found Malfoy looking for something."  
  
Harry was surprised that Dumbledore called him 'Malfoy'. He usually said Mr Malfoy or his full name.  
  
"He was looking for something... and he failed to his lord, Voldemort. Will you, please, explain it to me more detailed?"  
  
Harry started to tell Dumbledore everything that happened. Anything that he could remember... it was not easy. And he was the only one talking for about ten minutes.  
  
"And... you said you created a... mage spell while you were a ghost?" asked Hermione. "That means you cannot be a... normal ghost. And maybe that is the same thing why your resurrection was... not normal."  
  
"Maybe..." said Dumbledore. "But we can only guess... nothing is certain now. Everything is different from what it should be. First, Voldemort meets his downfall in Harry Potter. Then, Harry finds out that he is a mago-wizard and Voldemort stole some of his powers. Then, Harry cannot kill Voldemort and the curse kills himself. Then, Harry, as a ghost, he casts a beam spell. When he was resurrected, strange things happened. The ghost -- the soul did not enter inside the body only after five days. You were not unconscious - you were dead the 5 days. These are not normal things... And I do not know if we will find out what we need. That is possible in only one way."  
  
"And what is it?" asked Ron.  
  
"We have to find Voldemort's plans... whatever the plans are, we will surely find out his secrets... we will find everything we need."  
  
"But" said Hermione "How will we enter his fortress or whatever he turned the Durmstrang castle into? It has its own enchantments so no one will see it... Plus what Voldemort surely did. And we have no idea where it is."  
  
"We don't... but there are some who do know..." He looked at the door to the Three Broomsticks. "Erised has to know... and if he doesn't, the magi should have some archives... some maps. And I am sure we will find it. Now let's go and ask him."  
  
"Right" said Harry. They walked to the Three Broomsticks and they entered inside. Everyone was looking at them. Erised was one of the people.  
  
"Now, everyone, sit... we have to have a small talk." said Dumbledore.  
  
The persons at the table stood down. Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore and Ron found themselves seats. Everyone was around the table. Most of the wizards were still looking confused at Harry.  
  
"This event is one of all strange things that happened recently" said Dumbledore. "Harry is alive, as you all see. But why didn't he wake at the moment, we could not find out. But... we think we know where we can find answers. As I told you, Voldemort said something about some plans of his. And we are going to find them."  
  
"They are at the Durmstrang castle" he continued. "his fortress. The whole school is now his. We still have no idea how - did everyone join him or he killed everyone? This is another question that we cannot answer."  
  
"But we wizards do not know where Durmstrang is." he said. "Erised... Do you or any other mage know where this castle is?"  
  
Erised thought for a time and then he said "I think I know where it is... yes I know... It is in Denmark, if my minds serves me well. The school must be there... I remember seeing it in one of my jobs. I had to get rid of an evil mage... And he hid in that country. And I remember seeing the castle..."  
  
"How could you see it?" asked Hermione. "It is enchanted. Only they can see it. No wizard can-"  
  
"You are right. But remember, I am not a wizard. I am a mage. And we magi have different magic inside ourselves... The enchantments do not work on us. Not even the Fidelius charm. We break through it quite easy. That was why Harry could be seen by Lord Voldemort when he was at the Dursleys. As Voldemort used my powers, and some of Harry's, he could simply see him no matter what you did to him."  
  
Everyone started talking about different subjects. Harry was talking to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"D'you think they will find the castle?" asked Ron.  
  
"Find it?" asked Hermoine. "They know where it is!"  
  
"Then, d'you think they will get the plans?"  
  
"They?" asked Dumbledore who heard them. "No, not they. You."  
  
"Me?" asked Ron scared.  
  
"Of course not you" answered Harry. "Us."  
  
"And," Dumbledore continued, "I am sure Erised will help you how he can. I will not come with you because we do not know what Voldemort plans... and we have to be prepared for anything."  
  
He lead the four of them outside. Erised was looking with his yelow eyes at Harry. He certainly was thinking of his revival. Some people inside wanted to go outside with them, but Dumbledore stopped them.  
  
That time, Erised started talking.  
  
"The only reason why he chose me and you three to go to that castle is that everyone has another job to do... and he believed that you can do quite well. Harry, I hope you remember how to do spells properly, because being one week as a ghost and five days lying in a bed could make you forget them. And... remember one thing, Harry. Use your mage powers... they are unmatched."  
  
Harry hasn't thought of doing magic... he had no idea if he could manage it. He took his wand and said with a low voice "stupefy" pointing to a wall because the spell shot even if not targeted to a living thing. He did it easily, the spell was good. There was a hole in the wall he hit. "Reparo!" he said but with no effect. That spell was not strong enough to fix a wall.  
  
Then he remembered of his mage powers. Even if he had them, he still didn't know exactly how to use them. The thoughts of his previous mage lessons were going through his head... He knew that he had to concentrate on the spell he want to use. But the only spells he knew were Firebolt and the one helping him talk to a mage.  
  
Still he wanted to try to fix that. He concentrated hard on the wall... imagining it was fixed.  
  
When he looked at it, there was no hole inside it. Harry immediately enjoyed the fact that he did a mage spell...  
  
"Harry, what was in your mind?" asked Ron. "Lucky that Hermione was around."  
  
"Hermione?... Why?"  
  
"Why?? Because she repaired the wall!"  
  
Harry was confused. Hermione repaired the wall? Then what did he do? His magic didn't work... Or was Hermione faster than him and repaired the wall without Harry noticing?  
  
"I should try that again" said Harry so Ron and Hermione could hear him. "Do - NOT - fix - the - wall!"  
  
He had in mind to do that again... to see if he could repair it with a mage spell. He shot another stupefy. Hermione looked astounded when she saw the hole in the wall. Harry started concentrating... but he was stopped by Hermione.  
  
"How is that possible?" she asked. "A stupefy never destroys anything... It cannot make holes in the walls -"  
  
"Hermione, please shut up... I am concentrating!" said Harry and tried the spell again. But he didn't lose anything with a try, did he? So he started imagining the repaired wall. He even took his wand to help him, and pointed it towards the wall. His mind was almost empty... relaxed... then  
  
BANG  
  
The top of his wand exploded with a white fireball. He was pushed back several feet and he stopped lying on the road. Everyone was watching him.  
  
"Harry! Are you okay?" asked Hermione who hurried to him.  
  
"He should be okay" answered Erised. "Harry... Keep that in mind - never try to do mage spells with a wand unless they are combined with wizard magic. Never try that again..." Erised was smiling at him. "Well you didn't know... No one's warned you. The effect is simple to explain. Your energy should have created a small amount of gas with no air inside it. That should have shot out of your hand - or, rarely effect, but maybe posible at you, out of your eyes and hit the wall. That should have fixed it, making it how it was before." He stopped for some seconds, looking at the wall. "Well, the wand can't make the spell shoot towards a point... the wands are too long for that - the distance between your body and the place where the spell creates is too long. And if the gas ball does not move to the wall, it suddenly disappears. And that let a spot with no air. And it created an implosion..." He looked at the wall again. "You were lucky because the gas did not completely disappear. And the implosion launched a small bit of it to the wall."  
  
Harry took a look at the wall... and Erised was right. The wall was entire again.  
  
Dumbledore walked to them. "Well Harry... We should discover Voldemort's secret as soon as possible. We talked and decided that you will leave tomorrow. I trust you will do a good job there."  
  
Then Dumbledore left. Erised did the same after a short time. Harry was looking at the wall. It was completely repaired. He did not imagine that he could do such a performance...  
  
"A stupefy made a hole in the wall!" Harry could hear Hermione's voice talking to Ron. "A spell like that never does things such powerful. Look at this." She took her wand and shot a stupefy in the same wall. But as she said, it did not do anything to the wall. "Harry, how could you do that?"  
  
"Hermione! Stop with that!" said Ron. "Harry has powers even Dumbledore could dream of! Being a mago-wizard must be great... Isn't it so, Harry?"  
  
"Well... Yeah..."  
  
"But with power comes the responsability! Harry has some powers, but he shouldn't keep them to play with. These can be used in many ways to help... Just think about the current situation. You-Know-Who is strong again... We will meet him soon... Let's just hope that he will have mercy and wait some seconds before he will blow us all!"  
  
"Blow us?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yes. I don't think that he will wait until we will attack. He will surely be quick!"  
  
"Oh c'mon..." said Ron before Harry thoiught of anything to say "He can't use the mage powers that much... And we have Erised with us!"  
  
"Erised..." said Harry. "And me..." he stopped thinking. "Why do you say he can not use the mage powers? I am alive now... I have magic in myself. He will ceratinly use my powers again... Remember that I have the same blood as before. And Voldemort has some of my blood. And Erised has the same problem as I do." He paused for about three seconds and after a sigh, said "Well, there is only one thing... He can diminish our energy easily... He uses my powers and Erised's... Then you two will be the only ones who will be able to fight and continue."  
  
They started walking slowly. Harry wanted to go to the Hogsmeade hotel. He had his room there. On the way, a thing came to his thought. An unusual thing.  
  
"Ron..." Harry thought of how to ask. "How come that your parents are not here?"  
  
"Oh... Well, they came here but after three days they went home again. My dad had to go to work and mum wanted to go home. I asked them to leave me here and see what will happen to you."  
  
The hotel was as before - empty and lively-colored. Ron and Hermione saw it before. They had their rooms near Harry's. The three of them entered in Harry's room and wondered what to do. They saw a few books on a nearby shelf.  
  
Harry took the first one. It was called "Unexpected spell effects: mago-wizard spells". That should have been a book written by a mago-wizard. Harry looked at the writer. The names of the writers were "CHR and AYZ".  
  
Under that book there was another mago-wizard one: "Rituals: Multi-source spells". That was written by AYZ.  
  
There were many others but Harry stopped at the multi-source spells. He started reading it. Hermione took a book, too, but Ron didn't. He went to his own room.  
  
Harry found out that the spell that revived him was a multi-source spell. It was a spell casted by multiple persons. And that spell was cast by Dumbledore, Erised and Chalcrad. The book was quite thick and Harry decided he wanted to read it. He and Hermione spent a long time reading. Sometimes Ron tried to make them stop reading and do something "more interresting".  
  
"This is interresting enough, thanks!" was Hermione's answer when Ron came the third time.  
  
Later Harry found out that CHR was the mago-wizard leader himself. AYZ was his assistant.  
  
The rest of the day passed quite fast and with no events. Harry and Hermione read all day and Ron stopped trying to make them do something else.  
  
The next day Harry was woken up by someone.  
  
"Harry! Dumbledore decided it is time to prepare."  
  
It was Erised's voice. Harry opened his eyes and saw him.  
  
"It is ten o'clock in the morning. He wants us to leave at twelve. Come on, we have to eat something."  
  
Harry got out of his bed and left his room with Erised. Out of the building they met Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for them. Erised led them to a house where they have never entered before.  
  
"This is one of Dumbledore's old houses. He usually stays here in the summer. The breakfast is prepared. Come in! We got to hurry. There is not much time left."  
  
They ate a lot. Everyone thought that no more food could enter in their stomachs. As usual, the food on the plates grew again when someone ate it. They finished eating after half an hour. Then they had to meet Dumbledore to tell them exactly what to do.  
  
"Erised knows where to go and what to do. You three just listen to what he sais. We have to see the plans Voldemort was talking about.  
  
One more thing - be careful who you kill. Maybe you will meet someone who is by our side there. There are many surprises in the world... Who knows what will happen and what future provides us."  
  
That sentence reminded Harry of Proffessor Trelawney. But he got her out of his mind when they were told to do some practice that would help them. Erised took Harry for a mage lesson.  
  
Harry learned some basic mage spells and he had the basic concept of how to do them. He was able to shoot freezing spells quite easily. They were his favourite.  
  
Twelve o'clock came at last. Dumbledore told Erised, Harry, Ron and Hermione to do their best. There were many wizards who wished them good luck.  
  
"We will go to the Durmstrang castle with a simple spell" said Erised. "Magi love teleportation spells. Now come close to me, all three of you."  
  
Erised raised one of his hands up. It created a small yellowish sphere. It started shooting beams all over. But they did not affect people in any way.  
  
Finally the beams fixed their targets. There was one for each; Harry, Ron and Hermione. They turned white. It was followed by a loud sound that Harry didn't hear well. All he could see was black.  
  
He woke up lying on grass. He looked around.  
  
He was between a river and a forest. Ron and Hermione were looking around, as he did. Erised was on his feet looking around.  
  
"This is a place near the Durmstrang castle... We should find it soon. I can feel it's magic." he said. "Follow me!"  
  
They finally stood up and followed him, as he ordered. They continued walking by the river. The forest was near the river when they teleported. But after about half of an hour, the distance between them was long. The castle should be -  
  
"Here" said Erised. "We stand right in front of the castle."  
  
"What?" asked Ron.  
  
"I don't see it!" said Hermione.  
  
"Where?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, of course we can't see it. Looks like the wizards put stronger hiding spells that work on magi too... Well that can't stop us. Not after we reached so far. But I know... The castle is right near us. Just... we can't see or touch it. I wonder what spell could unhide it?"  
  
He stopped thinking. His yellow eyes emitted some light.  
  
"Just as I thought..."  
  
"What?" asked Harry.  
  
But Erised didn't answer. Instead, he did a spell similar to the teleportation that brought them there. His hand was something like a light - a yellow one. And now Harry understood why he did that.  
  
The castle was visible. The light stopped on the walls. But after Erised stopped his spell, it became invisible again.  
  
"Yes... It is so simple, though so complicated..."  
  
"What?" asked Harry again.  
  
"Well... the spell that hides the castle is better than I thought. What if we get into the castle? Just follow me..."  
  
Harry did so. Ron and Hermione did the same. Erised was explaining a few things.  
  
"If we will manage to get inside the castle, we will be able to see it. The protection is only from outside. But how can we get inside? Even if I use a light spell, we won't be able to do anything... Only... if -- hehe what an idea -- if I do one thing: Destroy and then re-assemble the walls!"  
  
"WHAT???" asked Harry. "Destroy it? How?" It was very stupid of Erised to think the castle could be destroyed. What did he think?  
  
"Well this may not be such a great idea... But we, have, to, neutralize, the, spell, effect. So why don't we do it?"  
  
Harry started feeling as Erised got mad. Or did he? The magi still had many secrets that Harry had no idea of...  
  
"Harry... being a mago-wizard you are able to do it."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I am sure the spell that makes this should have an origin. As Hogwarts had with eutherian pipes. It is so simple... how could I forget it? Well there is a way to neutralize a spell generator."  
  
"And that is?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Harry, I told you how to do a lightning... I hope you remember how to do it."  
  
"Yes, I hope so..." He tried casting a thunder on the grass. He did it after a few tries. "Mage spells aren't that hard", he thought.  
  
"Great! Excellent! Now one last thing... How can you do a thunder in wizard's way?"  
  
Harry stopped. Wizards could not create a thunder or control it in any way. Not that he knew of. Wizards didn't use elemental magic so much.  
  
"Don't you know?" asked Erised.  
  
"Impossible" Harry and Hermione said at the same time.  
  
"Impossible? Why?" Erised looked quite sad this time. It was natural; his idea of spell had no use.  
  
"It is impossible. You know that only mages are true masters of the elemental magic - you told me that yourself. Wizards can't control lightning... Just fire and a little water."  
  
"Then... wait - I need to think... There should be a way."  
  
Then they heard a voice that made Harry freeze. "A way... to home..." It was a voice that was similar to Voldemort's, but much slower. "Easy... to do... just... go back!"  
  
The words had no sense. It was someone who wanted them to go back to Hogwarts and stop them. And that was the thing that Harry would do. He had no idea of how to get inside the castle.  
  
"Please... go... away!"  
  
It certainly wasn't Voldemort. He never said a word like "please". It simply wasn't his type.  
  
"Go... before I will get angry!"  
  
Then Harry saw a thunder hitting the air near them. There had to be the top of the castle. It was a spell cast by Erised. The castle was visible for two seconds - but not more.  
  
"Well... you had your chance to escape. Adun Tonidas!"  
  
A thunderstorm started hitting the four of them. It came from nowhere. The mysterious voice could be Voldemort's. And he casted a thunder storm on them. Lucky it wasn't something that could kill them easily.  
  
"Well, it looks like we have no choice" said Erised. He raised his hand and summoned the yellowish sphere that emitted beams. Harry saw how a thunder hit Erised while casting the spell. Not much longer, Harry was hit by one himself.  
  
He closed his eyes. The thunders were not as strong as real thunders. Still he couldn't feel anything except the shocks.  
  
He tried to move, but fell unconscious. 


	14. One Last Chance

Chapter 14: ONE LAST CHANCE  
  
"Look! He is awake!" Harry heard when he had finally woken up. He took a look around. He was in his room at the Hogsmeade Hotel. It was full of wizards; Harry couldn't understand how they all managed to get inside. Near him was Dumbledore.  
  
"I think I underestimated the enemy." he said "Or maybe I overestimated you." He paused. "You're the first who got up. You were lucky. Only luck saved you this time. I saw a small yellow thing in midair. Chalcrad told me that it was the sign that a teleportation spell didn't work properly. Thinking that Erised never failed a simple spell like that, Chalcrad told me you had to be in danger. That spell was stopped by something. Immediately after that, he disappeared. He left... to save you. He should continue... he knows more than I do."  
  
Dumbledore stood up. He left the room after he spent a long time trying to find his way through the crowd. He ordered anyone to get out of the room. After a few minutes he returned with Chalcrad himself.  
  
"You are awake... at last. You can now tell me what happened because I still have no idea."  
  
Dumbledore stopped him. "Just tell him what you did and then everything will be explained."  
  
"Well... Okay. I teleported to the place you were. And I was hit immediately by a thunder spell. It drained some of my energy; magi are vulnerable while casting spells. The teleportation spell wasn't complete when it stroke me. But that didn't stop me anyway. saw you four and thought of another teleportation - one which could take us out fast enough. I couldn't risk being hit by another thunder. I did a fast lightning-based teleportation. I knew that if a thunder hit me it would just give energy and help me with the spell. Well, it didn't happen though. I almost missed your friend with the spell - lucky that I saw it the last moment or he was left there. That is all that happened there."  
  
Harty thought a minute of how to start; he had to tell Chalcrad and Dumbledore everything what happened there.  
  
Harry remained silent after that explanation. No one had anything to say about it. Harry only knew one thing - he had to do practice or he couldn't survive Voldemort's wrath. He couldn't just sit there in his Durmstrang fortress. He was surely doing something. What, Harry couldn't know.  
  
He was quite upset that he couldn't do anything to find Voldemort's plans. Whatever they were, those plans could be very important and they were vital for them to find.  
  
Chalcrad left the room; soon followed by Dumbledore. Harry remained in the room alone. He decided to go to sleep again because he was still tired and he needed it...  
  
He woke up. It was dark outside. Harry couldn't see anything through that darkness but he was not sleepy anymore. He got up and took his wand from his pocket. "Lumos!" and a small light was created at the top of his wand. He saw the clock near the window. The time was 5:26 AM.  
  
The door was open. Harry, hungry as he was, went out of the room hoping that he would eventually find some food. Before reaching the stairs, he heard some voices that came from a room near him. That had to be Ron's room. Harry pushed the door to open it.  
  
"Harry!" it was Hermione who ran to him, giving him a hug. "Thanks God you're fine!"  
  
Ron was near Hermoine, looking at Harry with the same expression on his face as Hermione had.  
  
"I am fine" Harry said. "But what about you? When I woke up you were still unconscious."  
  
"We know" said Hermione. "Dumbledore told us."  
  
"Why are you so quiet?" asked Harry looking at Ron.  
  
"Dunno" Ron answered.  
  
"Why are you awake at this time? It is very early..."  
  
"We can't sleep." answered Ron. "Looks like you can't, either..."  
  
"Right" Harry answered. "Where can I eat something? I'm starving!"  
  
"Follow me" said Ron. All three of them went down the stairs, where they found a large magic fridge(it was full at anytime, the food grown insine automatically). They ate for about one hour. They couldn't imagine how all that food could fit in their stomachs.  
  
After that, they went back to their rooms. Everyone was sleepy by then so they went to sleep immediately. Harry was lying on his bed, looking around his room. He hadn't noticed before how interresting it was decorated. On the top of the wall, right under the ceiling, there were sculpted some irregulat shapes that made everything look twice as good. He stared at the clock, which stopped. He couldn't tell what was the time. He decided to sleep, and that he would see tomorrow what would happen.  
  
But he had a very strange dream that night. He was somewhere in an attic. It was an old, dusty place. He couldn't see much because of the penetrating darkness around him. Then he heard some voices. He didn't recognize them. He couldn't understand either; the floor he was standing on didn't allow the sound to reach him too well.  
  
He took his wand from his robes, and whispered "stupefy" pointing to the floor. The spell created a small hole in the floor, without making ahy noise. The persons beneath Harry haven't noticed that.  
  
Light penetrated the darkness, making everything around Harry visible. But there were almost no things to see. Except for a few dusty chairs, there was nothing inside. But suddenly, the light turned red. Harry looked through the small hole and saw the light source. It was a huge portal standing in the middle of the room. The two persons speaking were two Death Eaters who Harry didn't know.  
  
"Well, I've got to go" one of them said. "But never forget, Do not let anyone enter the Durmstrang castle. Our Lord won't be pleased... Especially now, when he hides the plans where he wrote everything about Harry Potter... You know, he wrote everything about how he gained Harry Potter's powers and how Harry Potter can remove his own blood from Voldemort's body... Well we shouldn't talk about this now..."  
  
"Right. Well, then I'll go... Do well your job, because our future deppends on it."  
  
The first Death Eater stepped into the portal. He instantly disappeared, just like the portal did. The left Death Eater went outside the house. He turned off the lights, leaving Harry in another darkness. He just waited for the dream to end, as usual... but it didn't.  
  
Then it hit him. He couldn't actually be in a dream! He casted a stupefy on the floor, a thing that no one could do in a dream. He could cast a Lumos, too, couldn't he? "Lumos" he muttered, while the entire attic was lit again.  
  
But he casted a beam while being in ghost form... and that bothered him. What if he was in a dream, but he wouldn't wake up? That couldn't be a good thing. And the thought of doing so many unusual things bothered him the most. He wished he was anyone around else at Hogwarts... Because he really disliked being famous. He disliked the looks everyone gave him when they saw him on the streets. If he wasn't famous, he could have been at home(something he could call home, not as living at the Durslyes.), as every student except him, while Harry Potter was trapped in some strange dreams.  
  
But unfortunately, he was Harry Potter. And he had to find a way out of the dream. He pointed his want to the roof, and shot another stupefy(totally forgetitng his mage powers). Some tiles fell to the floor. The sky was visible through the small hole. He shot another stupefy, and another one. He continued doing that until he left a quite large gap in the ceiling. He exited through it.  
  
He was on the top of a house which was in the middle of a forest. The second Death Eater could be seen walking on an alley in the distance. He liked being at a height, he enjoyed them. Two things cane into his mind: Ghosts and Quidditch. Those were the times when he was at heights... He imagined he was a ghost, as in a trance, and started walking to the margins of the roofs. Luckily that he remembered he wasn't a ghost anymore, or he had fallen. And it couldn't be a good thing... Even if he was used to injuries and pain. He fell off the broom twice in the middle of a Quidditch game. Once in his second year and once in his third one; but after he fell in the second year, he had his bones removed and re-grown. It was a very painful process. And after that, not to forget that he was hit by the Cruciatus curse three times...  
  
Then he looked around again... He really enjoyed it; he really felt himself... not in a dream at all. The sky was a dark blue, it was still night... He liked nights. But it was not much time until the sun had to rise.  
  
He couldn't enjoy the surroundings too much because everything went dark again. And when he opened his eyes, he was not in the Hogsmeade Hotel. That was another house. This time he didn't feel as before. He felt as in a dream. The sensation that he couldn't do more than watch returned... And he was right. A moment later, someone entered the room he was in... This time it was the Death Eater that stepped into the portal. He was carying a white parchment with some words written on it. He put it on a table and started inspecting it. Harry looked at it, too. He couldn't believe it; he was looking exactly at what he most wished to look at: one of Voldemort's plans...  
  
In the middle of the parchment there was drawn a red orb, with some inscription around it. He read the title.  
  
"THE ORB OF THE POENIX  
the curing object"  
  
It had to be something important... Harry stood in a different angle so he could read easier, and started reading everything.  
  
"The Orb of the Phoenix is one of the most magical items in the world. It is able to cure a body of everything that is not part of it. It cures poison, magical potions and blood. Created by transfigurating a Phoenix to an orb, it has healing powers as well. It keeps everyone around it in a good mood."  
  
There was some handwriting at the bottom of the page. It read "Cures the effects done by me on Harry Potter and Erised." That had to be written by Voldemort, himself.  
  
There were many other explanations around the image of the orb, but it was enough for Harry. He knew what he had to do... Finding the Orb and using it on Voldemort. That could remove all of Harry's blood from Voldemort... and that meant Harry didn't have to wory about Voldemort using a mago-wizard spell... And the draining - it would be gone. Voldemort could do nothing against Harry then... His powers would be no match to a mago-wizard's.  
  
But first, Harry had to escape from the trap-dream he was in. That moment everything went black again... Harry was just hoping he would return to Hogsmeade... Because there was where he had to be. There was the real "him".  
  
He woke up then. He was in Hogsmeade. At last the dream was over; he now felt relieved...  
  
He looked at the clock again, forgetting that it didn't work. It was light outside; it was morning already... But he had to tell someone about the strangest dream he ever had. He called Erised through the distant-talking spell. Erised told him that the time was about eleven in the morning, so Harry had to get up soon.  
  
That was what he did. The road in Hogsmeade was in front of him. He could see the entire Hogsmeade again... It was a very good feeling after being trapped inside a dream. But still, how could he cast spells in a dream? He went to call Dumbledore; maybe he was the poerson who had answers. Or maybe not...  
  
Dumbledore was to be found in the Three Broomsticks as usual, entertaining a group of wizards with some jokes. When Harry entered, he turned to him and his face wasn't smiling anymore. He was serious again, as he had rarely been...  
  
"Good Morning," said Harry.  
  
"Good Morning, Harry," answered Dumbledore. "How are you?"  
  
"Fine... I just had a dream last night."  
  
Everyone was looking at Harry then.  
  
"What was it about?"  
  
"Voldemort." Everyone winked when they heard the name. "I didn't see him, I just overheard two Death Eaters saying that the plans Voldemort hides are exactly what we need - they contain the explanation of everything Voldemort used on me and Erised. And from one dream I was transported to another. I saw one of the plans about the Orb of the Phoenix."  
  
Harry continued explaining every detail. He told him about his ability to cast spells, the only thing he didn't say was the trance that mastered him while being on the roof. That looked a bit stupid and of no importance.  
  
"Well then, Harry," Dumbledore said in conclusion, "We have to profit of our last chance. We must... find that orb of the Phoenix, and use it against Lord Voldemort... Once and Forever. He won't have the ability he has now. Oh and look what I've found out - You and Erised are not the only ones he took blood from... He has the power of multiple wizards. He stole their blood when he was in his years of triumph, about twenty years ago."  
  
Harry was a bit shocked after hearing that. Well it explained a lot of things. He was a strong wizard before he took Erised's blood, too...  
  
At that moment, Hermione entered the Three Broomsticks. She had a shocked face, and she was holding a Daily Prophet in her hands. She looked gravely at Harry and Dumbledore.  
  
"Mornin'" said Harry.  
  
But Hermione didn't reply. She just stood terrified.  
  
"What is the matter?" asked Harry.  
  
"H... Have you read the Daily - Prophet?" she managed to ask.  
  
"No," answered Harry.  
  
"Well, you should. Take a look at this!" she said pointing to an article that was titled "You-Know-Who Strikes Again"  
  
Harry didn't like the sound of that. Dumbledore came near him. Dumbledore read loud:  
  
"You-Know-Who Strikes Again.  
  
Today, He-who-must-not-be-named attacked one Muggle German Town. He and a band of Death Eaters enjoyed destroying an entire town populated by confused Muggles which were aksing what was happening. He-who-must-not-be-named took full advantage of his very strong spells which use powers he gained by stealing Harry Potter's blood. Those spells were considered lost forever. It said that since 1800, no one could make one single weak spell of those. He destroyed Hogwarts two weeks ago with some of this magic, too.  
The Muggle town had more than 500000 inhabitants, so the losses were terrible. Muggles will be suspecting something after that event."  
  
No one said a word after Dumbledore read that. Everyone was shocked after it... Voldemort went too far by attacking a Muggle town like that. He surely wanted to rule the world... and kill any muggles in his way.  
  
"It is clear now," said Dumbledore with a very serious tone. "We have to find that orb... soon." 


	15. Alone

Chapter 15: ALONE  
  
Later on that day, while Harry was reading some of the books he had on the table about magi, Dumbledore and Erised came into his room together with Ron and Hermione. They seemed to have decided their further actions and plans against Voldemort.  
  
"Hey Harry," said the four who just entered the room.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"We have already decided on what we will do," said Dumbledore, "And this time it won't be easier than last time. I am sorry to say that I cannot help you in any way. The Orb of the Phoenix is located somewhere in the castle of Eurazal, the castle where you found the Necklace of the Dragonteeth."  
  
"I won't go there again," said Harry. "I don't want to meet those screemers."  
  
"This is not a problem," said Dumbledore, "Because we have already thought of this. That's why I've been testing some spells to block any damaging and dangerous sounds you may hear. So do not worry about them."  
  
"I will help you this time, too..." said Erised. "This time we will make sure they won't be able to stop us..."  
  
"When will we start?" asked Harry.  
  
"Tomorrow we will go." said Ron. "I still doubt that we will be able to find that crystal!"  
  
"Orb!" Hermione interrupted him. "For the hundredth time, Ron!"  
  
"Right..." he answered in a dully voice.  
  
"Perhaps you should consider some practice," Dumbledore told Harry. "Erised will tell you some of the magi tricks... because that is the only part where I am of no help. Erised..."  
  
"Yes, Albus."  
  
"Take Harry and do some practice... Because he will need it."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Dumbledore left the room. Erised looked at Harry and told him to follow. They went out of the building. Ron and Hermione went to their own rooms to have some practice of their own.  
  
Outside was quiet and usual. The town seemed deserted, as it was everyday. He was used to it being full from the Hogsmeade visits with the other students from Hogwarts. Erised told him to sit down until he explained some new simple spells. They were really simple, Harry did them even before Erised explained him how they are done. He just concentrated and thought of what Erised once told him - to concentrate on what he wanted to do and he would eventually do it.  
  
At the end of the "lesson", Harry managed to summon some objects, and that was a more complicated spell than the others. He summoned the Sorting Hat from the damaged Hogwarts castle, and that was a complicated thing. Then he started practicing some very complicated spells that conjured objects instead of summoning them from another location.  
  
"These spells may come in handy," said Erised, "We can't imagine what we will meet there. And by the way... I think we should call Chalcrad to teach you some mago-wizard tricks..."  
  
"Tricks? What do you have with this word?" asked Harry surprised. Dumbledore used that word too.  
  
"Hehe... spells."  
  
With that, Erised left telling Harry to wait there. Erised went to the Three Broomsticks and after a couple of minutes he came back with Chalcrad. It was the time to learn some mago-wizard spells...  
  
"Hello, Mr. Potter," Chalcrad said, "I hope you are prepared to learn something... destructive... You saw what can be done with those spells... Think of what Voldemort did."  
  
Harry remained silent. Erised left them alone, heading to the Hotel.  
  
"It is very easy to make a spell like that, but it needs a few basic rules. Once you know them, you won't have any problems in doing the spells... And the first basic rule is... Concentrate. You have to be good at mage spells for that to work, and good at wizard spells, too. And combining them gives you excellent results. Keep that in mind; you always need a wand and the incantations are usually long... but there won't be any problems; the incantations are automatically said by the spell; you don't even need to learn them. It is just created to scare the others... I still wonder what the ancients thought when they created this type of spells..."  
  
Harry took his wand and concentrated to do a wind spell. He pointed his wand to the air and concentrated hard on the wind. He imagined the strong wind blowing around him, while his mind seemed to go blank. He felt a breath of wind hitting his back. Then he opened his eyes. It really drained him; but not that much as the times when he was drained by Voldemort.  
  
But, as he looked around, he saw that Chalcrad was nowhere to be seen. There really was a wind, because everything was dusty and covered with sand. Some doors or windows were opened by wizards or witches who looked around asking what happened. Someone even screamed "You-Know-Who is here?"...  
  
Then someone talked to himself in a fast low voice. He kept saying "On his first try...". A plant started moving and soon someone got out of it. That person was Chalcrad.  
  
"Mr. Potter... I do not think you need any more lessons for tomorrow..."  
  
Harry still didn't do anything, he just stood frozen in the center of the road. People were gazing at him and Chalcrad(who was in a very bad condition and mood).  
  
"Was that your first try?" he asked again.  
  
"Yes..." said Harry after a moment of silence. "It was... my first try..."  
  
Chalcrad walked angry towards the Three Broomsticks. He entered and closed the door with an angry loud bang. Harry could hear him yelling "Look what that Potter did to me!". Someone answered him, and he yelled again "Yes, with only one strike!".  
  
Harry still didn't move. Everyone was looking at him through a hurting silence. He didn't feel too good, he hated when everyone was staring at him, but it wasn't that bothering as the times when he was in his first year. He decided to go to the Three Broomsticks to get an explanation of what just happened.  
  
Inside, Dumbledore was waiting for him. Harry thought by the look of his face that he did not like what Harry just did. Chalcrad was sitting on a chair, still angry and covered with dust.  
  
"Harry..." Dumbledore said in a disappointed voice. He certainly wouldn't like the following words. "You really made us look stupid. It is a shame to attack, even by mistake, a friend like Chalcrad. I must ask you to be more careful in the future."  
  
"Yes, Professor," Harry answered.  
  
"Now, go to rest. I think you feel quite drained after this..."  
  
"Yes, professor."  
  
Harry stepped out of the Three Broomsticks and went to the Hogsmeade Hotel. But he did not want to go to his room; instead he went to Ron's room.  
  
"Hey, Harry, already finished your practice?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes," Harry answered. "I just ended up with blowing Chalcrad to a wall with one strong wind spell." Herimone suddenly changed the look on her face. She became serious again... She was wearing an you-shouldn't-have-done-this expression. "It was just by accident..."  
  
"By accident or not," Hermione told him in a half-angry voice, "This is a huge mistake!"  
  
"Calm down, Hermione!" Ron stopped her, "It is not very serious..."  
  
"Oh it IS serious!" said Hermione. Even if she was right, Harry wanted to thank Ron for taking his defense. "Attacking a teacher... erm... not a teacher, but a very important person... It is really serious!"  
  
"Calm down, Hermione!" Ron told her. "You can't undo the actions, you know..."  
  
She calmed down a bit, and she stood quiet. Harry sat down on a chair, waiting for someone to find a subject to talk about. But he started thinking of the accident with Chlacrad. He actually created a very strong wind with a mago-wizard spell... He didn't know if he said any incantation or not. He was concentrating too hard on the spell itself so he didn't think about what he did except concentrating.  
  
They started talking about spells. Harry showed them some new spells. He conjured a small piece of food. He gave it to Ron to eat to prove them that it was real and not just an illusion.  
  
"Mmm... it tastes good," Ron told him after eating. Then Harry proceeded to show them the mage variant of a summoning charm. He ddin't want to show them a mago-wizard spell while they were still inside; he was afraid that he would make the house collapse.  
  
The rest of the day Harry read more about Mago-wizards and their history. He read that there still was a Dark mago-wizard that walked free throughout the world. No one knew where he was, but everyone could feel the darkness inside him when they met him. His name was Creamor, but he was often called you-know-who by the magi, just like Voldemort.  
  
He read until midnight. Then he went to sleep, because he knew that a very hard day was coming.  
  
  
Next day he woke up by himself. It was still early morning, he could see the morning cold sun outside his small window. The clock still wasn't working. He sat up and left the room, heading towards the fridge that was never empty. His stomach was asking for food, he hadn't eaten much last day.  
  
After he finished eating, Ron was coming down the stairs, too. "Mornin'" said Ron. Harry replied "Good morning."  
  
"So what's up?" Ron started talking.  
  
"I was starving so I came here to eat..." Harry answered. "You know, today we need a lot of energy... it won't be easy. Today is the day when we have to find the Orb of the Phoenix... We'll just have to pray that we will find it, or the good wizards won't stand a chance against the Mago-Wizard voldemort."  
  
"Yea..."  
  
Hermione was coming down the stairs, too. She looked sleepy, even if she slept all night(That was what Ron said). They started talking about that day... They were making plans for every possible creature they could meet there. Hermione told them she read a book about the Eurazal castle, and it said the Orb of the Phoenix was somewhere in the dungeons. She read about the Necklace of the Dragonteeth, too. The book also said that the creatures that lived in the dungeons were vampires, Shock Roaches, Mage Vipers, Ghywools and, the worst of all, dementors.  
  
"Dementors?" asked Harry terrified. "How are we going to go past them?"  
  
Hermione took her wand and said "Expecto Patronum!". A silver creature was shot out of her wand towards the exit of the room. Harry couldn't figure out what kind of creature Hermione's patronus was... It looked like a flying fish.  
  
"Oh..." Harry exclaimed after that.  
  
"That's all I can tell you... We still do not know most of the creatures that live there. I just hope we won't meet any Dungeon Tentacles..."  
  
"Dungeon Tentacles?" asked Harry confused.  
  
"They are some tentacles tied to the ground, or usually, in water. They hit you with their claws easily and they can shoot poison. Those are some of the worst creatures someone can meet in a dungeon. They can be killed very hard, and that is because they are thin and dodge anything. A sword would be good against them though..."  
  
"Sword? And where the bloody hell do you want to find a sword?" asked Ron.  
  
"Harry may give one."  
  
Both Ron and Harry looked at each other. Harry thought Hermione was talking about Godric Gryffindor's blade. But how could they take it? They didn't even know where it was.  
  
"Oh, come on, you always forget about your powers!"  
  
Harry instantly understood. He could summon Godric's sword, or simply conjure a new one.  
  
  
Later on that day, Dumbledore came to them when they were in Harry's room talking about Shock Roaches. They were small insects that were enchanted with lightning. Killing one could be a problem, because of its small size and very handy attacks.  
  
"Well, Harry, Ron, Hermione..." Dumbledore said, "It is time when you should leave. The sooner we have the orb, the better. We can't afford the destruction of another Muggle Town... The muggles are already suspecting something, but what if Voldemort will strike again?"  
  
"Follow me." he continued. The four of them left the hotel and went to Dumbledore's old house. There they met Erised, who just told them a few last tactics and plans before leaving. They weren't walking this time; Erised and Harry provided them with teleportatino abilities. The Eurazal castle was rising once again in front of Harry... bringnig back only bad memories like the Death of Professor McGonagall.  
  
"This time we will try to avoid meeting any creature," Harry said, "At least until we reach the Dungeons. Dumbledore had aloready cast the spell against screemers on us, so we won't have to be afraid of them."  
  
The death of McGonagall came back to his mind. She died because of a screemer... sacrificing herself for the rest of the group. If she hadn't done so, they would all be dead...  
  
They walked silently to the entrance of the dungeons. It was near one of the castle walls, Harry knew that because he saw it the last time he'd been there. Fortunately, they did not meet any creature on their way. Harry was the first one to enter the dungeons. The entrance was made of a small round door, and Harry wondered how they managed to get inside through that very small hole. There were lots of stairs to climb down.  
  
Then, they had another problem. The dungeon was not a simple, linear hall. It was created from lots of halls that intersected each other, including lots of doors that lead to storage rooms. "Where to?" asked Harry.  
  
"I'd say we should go straight ahead... we will eventually reach the middle of the dungeon. It will be much easier to find the orb from there... So let's go."  
  
They followed Erised, who was now leading the group. Each hall was very long, and that confused them even more. The dungeons were not designed as a maze... It was just made of lots of halls, and that was even more confusing than a maze. They had no alternative, just to search all the rooms for the orb.  
  
After they walked through the complete silence(except for their footsteps), they saw that the tunnel darkened. It was lit only near the entrance. "Lumos!" Ron, Harry and Hermione shot in unison. Each had a light on the top of his wand.  
  
The brick walls around than were wet. Everything around them was colored in a dark yellow... it looked really creepy.  
  
"It is too quiet here..." said Erised. "A really unusual quiet. I just wonder where the monsters that live here are..."  
  
He had just completed his sentence and he disappeared. He was taken to the ceiling by something... It looked like a tongue. "Erised!" Harry called.  
  
"Go! Continue without me!" they could hear from a very big distance. "I am caught by a mouth sticked on the ceiling... It caught me with its sticky tongue!"  
  
"Let's save him!" said Harry while he took his wand and pointed it to the ceiling. He concentrated hard on killing the creature that lifted up Erised. He could hear himslef saying "Ucide Pecel Inemik!" more times in a row. A black light(if you can call it light) shot out of his wand. Harry could hear a scream of pain, it had to be the mouth-like creature Erised was talking about. Then, they could hear Erised screaming... He was falling to his death. The ceiling was very high indeed.  
  
"Erezio!" yelled Hermione. She just turned some of the floor into water. It had to make the impact less damaging... so Erised would live after that.  
  
He fell into the water. He couldn't be seen, the water was that deep. After about one minute, he came out of the water.  
  
"You're alive!" said Hermione with joy.  
  
"'Course i am alive" said Erised. "Did you think that a mage can die that easy?"  
  
"Now," said Herry, "We should continue our search. The orb must be here, somewhere..."  
  
Then Harry went to lead the group. Erised was the last one. They walked for some time, meeting only a few Shock Roaches on the walls that died at the contact with Harry's Avada Kedavra. It had to be easier than they thought... The dungeon didn't seem too well guarded. And, on second thought, who could guard it? It was not in the possession of Voldemort, and the world wasn't that evil.  
  
"I think it is really quiet," said Erised. "I don't -"  
  
"Don't say that it is quiet again," Ron interrupted him, "The bad things seem to happen only when you say that..."  
  
"Well, it is."  
  
And, Ron was right. He didn't finish the sentence and a huge snake-like creature attacked Erised from his back. It created a lightning bolt that hit Erised, who fell to the floor.  
  
"MAGE VIPERS!!!" yelled Hermione. "We're doomed!"  
  
"No we're not," Herry interrupted her, "Avada Kedavra Multipla!" he said while green light was spreading everywhere across the room. About five mage vipers that just came to sight fell, dead, to the ground.  
  
It turned quiet again. Erised was on the floor, apparently unconscious. The vipers were dead, and Hery, Ron and Hermione were too scared to say anything. They just looked at each other for a couple of minutes.  
  
Maybe the world was evil after all. They almost met their death, luckily that his mago-wizard powers helped him on instinct. He didn't even know that there was a spell called Avada Kedavra Multipla. Harry wondered how the spell knew who was friend and who wasn't...because Ron and Hermione were still alive. And Erised looked alive, too.  
  
"We s-should continue..." said Harry, breaking the silence. "We have to leave Erised here..."  
  
"Leave him here? We can't let him die!" said Hermione in her teaching voice.  
  
"We have no other alternative... Tell me what is better: Find the Orb of the Phoenix and risk Erised's life or stay here while Voldemort destroys everything he meets?"  
  
"Right..." answered Hermione disappointed of her intelligence. "Let's go."  
  
They continued exploring the dungeons, still terrified. Thye could meet more vipers at anytime...  
  
Harry was still in the lead. Next, came Ron and Hermione, in a line. Harry wondered how could they move in that state - scared to death. There was a piercing silence as usual, that Harry didn't like, but no one asked him to like it... he had to bare it. Things looked worse than they have thouhgt...  
  
They met some more Shock Roaches on their way. After that, they were sitting in the middle of the dungeon... but they still had no idea about what to do to find the orb - it could still be in any room... They had to find it, even if it was in the last room they explored...  
  
They didn't move at all for some time, and that was until Harry's face brightened. It was a good thing - he had a great idea... He could still use his distant-talking spell on Chalcrad...  
  
He closed his eyes, concentrating on Chalcrad and asking him "How can we find the orb once we are in the dungeon?". He just hoped he managed to do the spell, scared as he was.  
  
It took a long time, but he managed to do it properly... He got an answer from Chalcrad. He told Harry that he should use his mage powers... concentrate hard on the orb, and the path to it could be revealed.  
  
He sighed before opening his eyes. He felt that something wasn't as it should have been... And he was right. There was no Ron or Hermione to be found anywhere.  
  
"Ron? Hermione?" he asked looking in every possible direction. "RON! HERMIONE!" It couldn't be worse.  
  
But instead of hearing Ron or Hermione answering to him, a group of Mage Vipers were advancing towards him. Harry took the chance to look at one better... It was like a giant snake that had half of its long body up in the air. It had two thin hands sticking out of the upper part of the body. Its head was small, with angry, red eyes.  
  
They were in a large number. They were at least twenty... That was the end of his mission, Harry thought. He had no chance to kill that many vipers in one shot - he had no time to make more than one spell. He concentrated a bit to make another Avada Kedavra Multipla. But he didn't manage to kill only two of them.  
  
That only gave him more time: the group of vipers stopped to take a look at the fallen ones. Harry took the opportunity to think and concentrate on another thing, any spell that came to his mind could be useful...  
  
The vipers were advancing towards him. He didn't know what to do. He continued concentrating as hard as he could... but he could barely do it. He was much too scared to be able to concentrate.  
  
His lips started moving forming some words...  
  
"Arros Vienus Bringus Viatzus Annel Te bat de nu." He was talking very slow... or it was slow compared to the fast vipers... "Dombu..." A green light was coming to him... It was his spell, not an Avada Kedavra. The vipers came very close to him. The first one jumped to him, pulling him down. "Emmerit... Cavalia..."  
  
He could see gtreen light everywhere. Something pierced through his foot... It had to be a claw or something...  
  
Harry could not hear anything. Was the noise too loud and it was ignored by the spell Dumbledore put on him? No it couldn't. They were just some vipers...  
  
JUST vipers! What could pass through his mind...  
  
He couldn't do anything. He was lying on the ground, some vipers were standing on him, casting different spells that kept hitting him... It was very painful. And the only thing he could do was wait and see what would happen... if he could see what happened. Because there was no chance to escape, death was closing him.  
  
The sound came back. He could hear the vipers hissing something familiar... He thought he understood what they said... But how could he undrestand a hiss?  
  
There was a loud bang. The green light around him was going as far as possible... killing any viper in its way. Harry was shocked about his spell. He did something unusual again... A very strong spell that killed every enemy around him.  
  
His mind seemed to work normal again. He immediately understood why he understood what the vipers were hissing; they were snakes after all and Harry was a parseltongue.  
  
He escaped again... He had to continue his search for the Orb, or the world would be destroyed. He got up, still feeling the strong pain caused by the claw that pierced through his left foot. He remembered that Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found, and he started searching for the orb. It had to be very hard - because he was...  
  
...Alone. 


	16. Mage Vipers

CHAPTER SIXTEEN : MAGE VIPERS  
  
  
Harry carefully looked at the halls in the dungeon. Every hall was dark except of the ones near the entrance. The doors looked twice as many as they looked at the beginning... Harry had begun to think there was no hope...  
  
But then he remembered - Chalcrad told him of a spell... and he had to try it, no matter what. Even if he didn't have any hope of concentrating in that situation... terrified and with almost no hope. His friends were nowhere to be seen... And he had to do the job alone. Alone, surrounded by hordes of monsters that wanted to defend the Orb.  
  
He still had to try... or he would have died for it. His eyes closed slowly as he tried to concentrate, to bring any courage there was in his mind... But he didn't do anything. There was a sound that scared him... because every sound would do it in that situation...  
  
But it was nothing to be afraid of. Harry closed his eyes again, because that made his concentration easier... He stood like that for a quite long time, without accomplishing anything...  
  
Another sound, louder than before, made him stop and open his eyes. His face looked panicked, because he was sure what the sound was: it had to be another mage viper... Harry didn't think he was able to kill vipers anymore with the concentration he was able to acquire...  
  
The sound was getting closer and closer... The viper started hissing in a very familiar voice. Harry could understand what it said beacuse he heard it in english. It continuously said something about the orb of the phoenix. Harry, scared as he was, wasn't attentive of what it said.  
  
Harry started talking by instinct... He was asking the vipers what they will do to him. His mouth moved differently from what he was talking... He was speaking parseltongue again, as he didn't do for a long time... It seemed really weird.  
  
The viper came out of a corner and stopped. It was looking with its fierce, white eyes at Harry. He started to feel somthing he had never felt before... He started to feel the magic inside the vipers. Erised once told him that magi feel the magic inside others if they want... That was how Harry felt now. Then the viper started talking to him.  
  
"Heir of slytherin... Is that you?" it asked.  
  
Harry stood dumb in the middle of the hall. The parselmouths were slytherins... except of him, who gained the power from Voldemort himself...  
  
"You are not the heir of Salazar?" the viper asked again. It was giving a suspicious stare at Harry's scar. "You - you are Harry Potter!"  
  
With that, the mage viper walked backwards.  
  
"Don't be afraid of me," said Harry. "I am here with... er... good intentinos -"  
  
"We are sure of that," said the viper, "you are trying to find a way to destroy the evil... but you won't. The Dark Side will always tryumph..."  
  
Harry stood silenced. He knew that the viper was just waiting for the others of its kind to appear... They were planning to kill him. What hope was there after all? It was the end, Harry knew that... His death day would be the day when the Evil would tryumph...  
  
"You think of us wrong..." said the viper. "Do not look at me like that! We are not here to kill you... We are just guarding the orb for the time when Voldemort will try to find it..."  
  
"Then why did lots of vipers attack me before?"  
  
"Remember... you are a pareseltongue. It took me a while to realize that you were not the Heir of Slytherin, and that you were the Heir of Gryffindor himself..."  
  
"WHAT?" asked Harry surprised. "Me? The Heir of Gryffindor???"  
  
"You didn't know... well I do not blame you... Because there are no wizards who know that... only the ancint creatures... and those are we."  
  
"For how long do you live here?"  
  
"Oh... It's been a long time, we are here for several thousands of years... We have always been trying to stop the Evil... And, we were succesful because the Orb is still here, even if there were many people who tried to steal it..."  
  
"But how can I be the Heir of Gryffindor? I thought the only living Heir was Voldemort..."  
  
"Oh, no! Never think about something that is impossible. You are the Heir of Gryffindor... And the heirs of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuf are still alive, even if no one knows it..."  
  
Harry had no words to say - he was the Heir of Gryffindor... or was that only a mistake done by the vipers? It couldn't be... He heard that the vipers are always right...  
  
Well they were not right when they thought Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, were they?  
  
"It is just a pity that the Dark Arts are growing as strong as possible... They will soon be stronger than the mago-wizard spells themselves... and that will assure the victory of Evil... However, the Orb will always be safe in here... I'd specialize in Dark Arts myself but I can't risk falling to the Dark Side... It would be a shame for a creature like a Viper to be serving the Dark Side..."  
  
Then, Harry could hear more vipers approaching. Their hiss was understandable...  
  
"Tuz, I think you called us..." said one of the new-arrived vipers to the viper Hary was talking to.  
  
"Yes, Ate. We will lead our new guest to the Undergrounds."  
  
"Lead one human to our underground? It is not -"  
  
"Shut up, Ate! He is Harry Potter, and we have to help him."  
  
"Harry Potter? The Uncorruptible?" asked Ate. "This has to be a blessing from the Creator..."  
  
"No, Ate. Not at all. The Dark Powers have been rising a lot this year. Harry Potter has come here only to find the Orb and use it against the Heir of Slytherin. And just think that he is uncorruptible... He can't turn to the Dark Side. He will be able to be an expert in the Dark Arts and he won't fall to the Dark Side!"  
  
"So he will be the one who will assure the Light side a victory, won't he?" aksed Ate.  
  
Tuz gave Ate a suspicious look. Harry stared at them at all the time. He certainly didn't like the sound of that - it sounded as if they wanted to use him for victory...  
  
But that was the thing he wanted to do - to assure the defeat of Voldemort. Even if he was used by somebody...  
  
"Gryffindor, follow us." said Tuz finally. They started moving, Harry followed tham as suit. "We will now show you something that no other human had ever seen, the Underground city we Vipers have been building for thousands of years, and the last thing we would ever show to somebody: The Orb of the Phoenix. Miraculously, it started burning for some time... I think it sensed the Evil Powers outside. Right at the exit of our tunnel is the Castle Of Eurazal, as you might know. Its leader was always a Dark Lord, very weak compared to Lord Voldemort, but we did not attack him because he could turn suspicious. The Powers of the Castle were weakened with the mysterious disappearance of the Necklace of the DragonTeeth."  
  
"Oh..." said Harry, by mistake.  
  
"What?" asked Tuz.  
  
"The necklace..."  
  
"What about it?... Wait a minute - I sense its powers..."  
  
"What? Where?"  
  
"Somewhere around... but I can't detect it, only its powers..."  
  
"It is nothing to wonder of," said Harry, "It was used to resurrect me when I died."  
  
"Ressurect? You?" asked Tuz very surprised. "You weren't meant to die... The Heir of Gryffindor can't die... That's what the Ancient Inscriptions on our castle say..."  
  
"I died..."  
  
"How exactly?"  
  
"It was with the Avada Kedavra - If me or Voldemort tried it on the other, the caster would die... Both of us died trying a curse like that on the other one."  
  
"Strange effect..." said Tuz while thinking of something. "But something predicted that somewhere... I don't know where... It doesn't much matter anyway. And by the way, the power of the necklace... It is in you, Gryffindor..."  
  
"What? The powers?"  
  
"No, no, no... The Necklace itself... You and the necklace are as one. It wasn't a living creature, but it had some very strong powers... and they are yours now to use... It is inside you. That is another rare effect... very rare, indeed..."  
  
They had walked for a long time. Tuz lead Harry to one room, where he could see that the walls weren't yellow anymore; they were blue... In the middle of that room was a cross on the floor. Tuz pointed its small fingers to the cross looking at a group of vipers. They moved towards the cross. Tuz clapped once with its hands and the group that stood near the cross had turned a very bright white, emitting a blinding light. Harry couldn't see exactly what happened, but at the end the vipers were not there anymore. That had to be the apparition - or teleportatin, it deppends how someone looks at it - of the vipers.  
  
Next, it was Harry's and Tuz's turn to stand on the cross.  
  
"The teleportation is easy to do. Just stand here, near me." Tuz explained.  
  
Harry did so. Tuz clapped once with its small thin hands. Harry could see himself turn white, as everything around him. The next moment all what he could see was black, a darkness that remembered him of his dream when he heard the two Death Eaters talked. Harry and Tuz were travelling, and Harry realized how they were moving - it was like being unable to touch anything. They passed through the floor, then through a thick ground. He could see the earth while moving, even in that darkness.  
  
He closed his eyes because he couldn't keep them open. The next moment, he felt like falling from a huge distance. And he saw it - he had turned solid again and they were falling! Harry saw how the ceiling remained in a far away distance from them.  
  
The cave was one of the most beautiful things Harry had ever seen. It was a huge cave, lit with a strange nuance of blue. Everything was blue; the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the wondrous buildings... even the vipers were like that.  
  
They hit the ground. Mysteriously, they didn't have anything broken. Their speed was suddenly decreased when they were near the ground.  
  
Instantly, hundreds of vipers started coming from everywhere, surrounding them. It was really creepy, Harry thought. The buildings around him were beautiful, but they were like freezing. Harry felt something evil in that. That blue color was very strange on the buildings that had many curbs. They had a very complicated arhitecture, with lots of circles and arcs. Their height was impressive, too.  
  
The noise was getting louder. It increased with the number of vipers that came to that position in the town.  
  
"TUZ!" some vipers shouted, "YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING HUMANS HERE!"  
  
"Shut up, Zel. It is an important business."  
  
"Who is he anyway?" Zel asked pointing to Harry. "And those two who were brought here... Something is wrong, Tuz."  
  
"I think you know him as Ejk."  
  
"Ejk?" asked Zel. Every viper started talking.  
  
"OH SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!" said Tuz. "Yes, he is Ejk. Known by the humans as Harry Potter, the Heir of Gryffindor."  
  
"And will you tell me who were the two you brought before?"  
  
"They? I don't know but I suspect that they helped Ejk to get in here."  
  
Harry stared at the vipers while they were talking. He was sure they usually talked alot. Were they talking about Ron and Hermione? He would find out soon.  
  
Then there was a deafening sound that came from the ceiling. Someone was teleporting into the town. It was another Mage Viper.  
  
"Tuz," the one who had just arrived said, "I found a mago-wizard. Left him there, not sure if he will do harm or not."  
  
"He is a friend," Harry said, "Erised. He had helped me, too."  
  
It was the first thing Harry said from the moment he entered into the magnificient cave.  
  
"Ejk..." said Tuz to Harry, "I will lead you to the room where you will stay while you are here. It is not much, but there is nothing better I can give you. Follow!"  
  
Harry did so. The Viper crowd split, and the place where they were before was empty again. Harry followed Tuz for about half an hour. They finally got there after what seemed an entire day, and Harry could see a building nicer than anything he had seen in the town.  
  
"Ejk, you should NOT go out without one viper that knows you. Humans are not allowed here, and most of the vipers will try to kill you. I broke many rules by bringing you here."  
  
Tuz almost left, but then he stopped. "Oh... And those... three we've met there... I suppose they are your friends."  
  
"Yes, they are."  
  
"They will be here in about one hour. Just sit and wait. Then we will talk more about the new threat Slytherin made us all fear! But do not panic, young Ejk. We will put an end to that sooner than you think... with the Orb of the Phoenix."  
  
"But... Why didn't you ever use it before?" asked Harry.  
  
"Because we, vipers, are cursed. The Orb does not accept us more than guards. If any viper gets close to it, he dies instantly, or just wakes up in terrible pain - it deppends of the viper. Some are weaker, some are stronger."  
  
Tuz stood silenced for awhile, and after that he told Harry he had to do some work and left.  
  
Harry was in a small bluish room. It had many strange objects inside. It rather looked as a technologically-advanced muggle world than a magic one, but it still was magical... built by vipers!  
  
He didn't touch anything. He just started to think of what happened before. He thought of his adventures in the dungeons... Wasn't Tuz angry on him because he killed some vipers?  
  
  
The hour passed slowly. Ron and Hermione finally entered the room, immediately followed by Tuz. Both of them were scared to their wits. It looked like they didn't figure out that the vipers were after all good...  
  
"Ron! Hermione!" said Harry, while jumping to go near them. He gave both of them a you-are-okay hug. He felt really odd, he was used to speaking parseltongue... Not English.  
  
"What is this town?" asked a scared Hermione.  
  
"Calm down, calm down," Harry said, "Tuz... Why didn't you tell them about the situation?"  
  
"Ejk... Remember that humans can't understand us. You have to be a parselmouth to understand us."  
  
"Oh..." then, he turned to Hermione and Ron. "Calm down, Hermione. You, too, Ron. They are not evil creatures..."  
  
"Then tell me why they captured us! And why they attacked us in the dungeon!" said Ron angrily.  
  
"You know, while you were concentrating on a spell they came and took us from you... And you say they are not evil?"  
  
"They are not. This town is what we had to visit from the beginning... the hiding place of the Orb of the Phoenix... so it wasn't in the dungeon after all."  
  
Tuz interrupted them with another familiar hiss. "Well, Ejk... Just tell me what you want to see."  
  
"Tuz, this is a very interesting town... I'd like to see it better, and I am sure my friends will, too."  
  
"Fine. The town is very nice indeed... we have been working for about 4000 years to do it as you see it now. Come on!"  
  
Harry then turned to Ron and Hermione, who didn't like the town at all. "Just follow Tuz... He will guide us through this beautiful town. I'd like to see it better... And then we will be able to see the orb!"  
  
Ron and Hermione didn't say a word. They simply followed.  
  
Tuz guided them through the town. He showed them the original entrance(when there was no teleportation), the statue of Captivity, which was built when the cave was captured by the spiders(but it was re-taken in a short time), the defending posts of the town, a museum, a supermarket(they didn't find any food for a human anyway) and Tuz's house. They saw almost the whole town, but that was in several hours.  
  
It turned evening, then night. Tuz's slaves brought some food for the trio from the outside, and they went to the room that the vipers said it was Harry's. There already was someone inside. Tuz knocked the door. It was opened by none other than...  
  
"Erised!" said Harry in a joyful voice.  
  
"Hello, Harry. You have done great."  
  
Erised's yellow eyes brightened. Tuz didn't seem to like that, he closed his eyes and exited the room.  
  
"So," Erised started, "What are we going to do? The vipers don't like me, and I don't like them either."  
  
"Well... I don't know," answered Harry, "I seem to be the only one who can talk to them... The only parselmouth in the group. Well, they are up to good things now, and I don't think they will ever turn evil - "  
  
"Who said they will turn evil?" Ersied stopped him, "They are mage vipers, the symbol of the light side!"  
  
"Symbol of the light side???" aksed Harry surprised.  
  
"Oh... sorry, forgot you aren't familiarized with the magi... Yes, the magi have the vipers as the symbol of Good."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us? We thought they were Evil from the start!" said Hermione and Harry together.  
  
"Now," said Ron, "What's the plan?"  
  
"We should go as soon as possible," said Erised, "Because they can't stay much with me around them... and I can't stay in their town either. Look at the buildings! They are horrible..."  
  
Harry remained silent. He still considered the buildings the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen...  
  
"Let's go," he decided at last.  
  
"Harry, you are mad!" said Ron. "We have just entered the room! I am too tired for this!"  
  
"Come with us... or stay here," said Harry. "Hermione?"  
  
"As always... Ready." Ron seemed to blow up when he heard that Hermione wanted to go, too.  
  
"Let's go!" said Erised finally. Ron swore.  
  
"You know," said Harry, "Tuz told me not to go out without a viper accompanying me."  
  
"Your wand is your best companion," said Erised. "And your mind..."  
  
They walked out of the room, and then out of the building. The blue town was in front of them, there was no viper accompanying them... even if every one of them who saw the group got alarmed. The town could now be visited without a guide to tell you where to go. The only problem was that they didn't know where to go, the orb's location wasn't revealed yet.  
  
"I guess the orb should be in one of those places," Erised briefed them, "The defending posts, the museum or Tuz's house. I can't imagine any other place where they could hide it. And it has to be one area where no viper goes, as the orb will instantly consume any viper that comes near it."  
  
They decided to search the defending posts first, because that was the least thing a viper would visit. They weren't used for thousands of years, from the last attack of the Devil Goblins.  
  
They found it easily aqd entered inside through a golden-blue gate. The defending posts were several towers, with spell-casting objects placed from place to place. It was a good defense, but Harry never thought that something like that was possible.  
  
Fortunately, they haven't met any viper in the first visited tower. Everything they met were some worms, which grew there due to the fact that no one visited the tower for a long time. And that was all, the Orb of the Phoenix wasn't there. Ron seemed to fall to the ground, he was really tired. "Oh, Ron, you get tired that easily!" said Hermione. "Let's try something..."  
  
She pulled out her wand and said, "Ennervate!". Even if that spell was meant to stop the unconsciousness of a person, it gave him some evergy. Ron wasn't as tired as before; he seemed to be normal again.  
  
"Let's go!" he said, decided. He wasn't like that for a long time...  
  
The second tower was the next one to be visited. The group stepped inside, it was larger and with a wonderful design. Even Erised's mouth opened when he saw the inside of the building... It had a high ceiling, and the painting made on it was done by a very skillful person - or viper. The design was not as a hi-tech one as before, it was now almost as Hogwarts's architecture. It was creepy as the first visited tower. Ron firstly hesitated to make another step, but then he continued(when he saw that everyone was walking inside).  
  
They were walking slowly near the high columns that suspended the ceiling. But the second tower was empty as the first one, except for some Shock roaches that died when Erised looked at them(he used some fast spells).  
  
"I think they would put the orb in the last tower so no one will look for it there," said Harry. "Come!"  
  
They went to the last tower as Harry said. It was the best idea he had while in the Viper Cavern. "I don't like this..." said Ron with a very scared voice. And they hadn't found anything in that tower...  
  
After a while, they realized the Orb was not in the defending post... It wasn't in the museum either, and they thought that Tuz would never do anything like hiding a viper-killing object in his house. They had no more ideas of where to go.  
  
"Where d'you think it can be?" asked Ron.  
  
"I think they had hidden it in the ground somewhere, and we need Tuz to reach the Orb's location..." said Harry.  
  
"No... It has to be in the temple!" said Erised. "How could I ignore the temple??? The Mage Viper Temple... Some ancient stories were talking about it. I even read somewhere about the Orb of the Phoenix, but I am not sure if it was in the temple. Maybe it had just made the connection between the same location: in the Viper Cave. Who knows... We'll have to continue our search. There is no other alternative, because I am sure the vipers won't tell us where the orb is."  
  
Erised led them to the Viper Temple, which was in the other side of the town. It was something wrong with the vipers, though. No one attacked them, or maybe they were briefed by Tuz on that, and they were told not to be scared of the group?  
  
At the temple entrance was a guardian viper waiting...  
  
"Who are you?" it asked in a hiss that only Harry could understand.  
  
"I am Harry Potter, er..." He couldn't remember the name he had in the viper town.  
  
"And who is Harry Potter? I never heard of you... And the others?" But they didn't answer him, they couldn't understand him.  
  
"I am the only parselmouth here," said Harry. "I am the Heir of Gryffindor!"  
  
"Ejk..." said the guard slowly. "I am not allowed to let you in the temple."  
  
Harry turned to Erised and told him "He sais we are not allowed in there... What should I do?" Erised started thinking. His yellow eyes brightened and started shining. The guardian Viper looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"What does he do?" the viper asked.  
  
"It's nothing... Just preparing an anti-viper ray," he said joking. But it wasn't the good moment to joke, the viper jumped onto Erised and pushed him to the ground. "I was just kidding!"  
  
"NOW WAS IT A JOKE OR NOT?" asked the viper angrily.  
  
"I don't know..." said Harry, and that was the real thing... He wasn't familiar with the mage spells. "I think it was nothing bad for you, though."  
  
"Ask him!" the viper said pointing to Erised.  
  
"Erised," said Harry, "what was that?"  
  
"Harry, that was a spell done with the energy I gathered from the Orb of the Phoenix... It would have consumed the guard... And it is true! The orb must be insine the temple! That's why we are not allowed here. That's why I could feel and use its energy and magic."  
  
The viper was looking at them with an evil look on its face. Its white, evil eyes looked as piercing through Harry's mind. But that was just his imagination.  
  
"What?" the viper asked. "Tell me what he said!"  
  
Harry stood silenced. Should he tell the viper what Erised just said? No, it would surely kill them for that. He said, "No... He was just looking for the Orb of the Phoenix. It was a search spell."  
  
"You must not take the Orb!" it said, "It is only safe in this cave, from all places in the world. I repeat, it - must - not - be - taken. Just listen to me... Or else, the Dark Ones will take it and terrorize the world with it. Please! I don't want the evil to rule the world, and I am sure you don't want that either."  
  
"Then tell me how are you gonna kill them all?" asked Harry decided to argue until he was allowed to take the Orb, even if there was no chance that the vipers would give it that easily. "This Orb is the only way to defeat them! We must use it in order to stop them!"  
  
"I am sure you won't be able to do that, because the dark powers are so strong that they will take the orb from your hands! And if you will use it here, the entire population of vipers will die. No... Just... Let it here and leave without it. There are other ways to stop a dark wizard..."  
  
"And those are?"  
  
But the viper didn't say anyhting. It looked as it wanted to say something but someone blocked it. That person was Erised. He was using another spell that paralysed the viper.  
  
"Erised!" said Harry angry.  
  
"Harry, this is the lonly way to enter and take the orb..."  
  
"I was gathering information about the orb's powers! How do you know that it won't kill us, too?"  
  
"You can be sure that it won't."  
  
"I still had something to talk to the guard..." said Harry while the viper fell to the ground. Erised pointed his finger to it and its body exploded in hundreds of pieces. "ERISED! You go too far!"  
  
"No, not at all, Harry. We must find the orb, remember? To save the world..." Harry didn't like that at all. He started to hate Erised... what was in his mind? he was talking only stupid things.  
  
But if they started it, they had to keep the work to the end. They entered inside the temple. It looked as an ancient building, with sandy walls that stood in the air because of the strong magic in the temple. It looked as a pyramid, not as a temple.  
  
The temple had a very large and long hall, with columns near the walls that were just as decorations, because the ceiling stood up because of the magic casted on it.  
  
And at the end of the huge hall was something that emitted a very strong red light... It was the Orb of the Phoenix. Near it was a human being dressed in a black cloak... It couldn't be... How would anyone find out about the cave? It was so unreal...  
  
"Is that... You-know-who?" asked Hermione.  
  
"He can't be..." said Harry.  
  
But it was nothing to think - that had to be Voldemort... who else? They wlked towards the Orb and the person. It was really dangerous - they still didn't know if the Orb could do more than just removing something that didn't belong to body from its insides. Could it kill? Could it make a fire wall that separated the caster form the others? Or could Voldemort just disapparate from that spot and go to his Drumstrang castle?  
  
Harry just wished that he wouldn't rest in pieces and acquired as much courage as he could, because it had to be another fight with Voldemort... and Harry was sick of them. He had enough for a lifetime.  
  
But was that Voldemort? He didn't move at all... that hooded figure was different from Voldemort in many ways... Voldemort couldn't just stay and wait... He always was the first who spoke, or stroke.  
  
Then, a white light appeared in front of him. After a few seconds, the long body of Tuz materialized and started to walk to them.  
  
"I knew it all along... I knew that you would try to find the orb. And you did a nice job to the guard, Erised... Oh you can't understand."  
  
"I'll translate..." said Harry, then looked at Erised. "he said you did a nice job to the guard..."  
  
"Well, you are in the temple, The Mage Viper Temple! You stand right in front of the Orb of the Phoenix, near me... near the only viper strong enough to deflect its powers and use them against anyone else... And because you aren't trustworthy, I think you can imagine what will happen to you... Just translate to them, Ejk... I want them to know why they died."  
  
Harry told them what Tuz said, and started to make a plan.  
  
"Erised, you just try to take the orb's energies and use them to kill Tuz... Because he seems decided; he wants to kill us all. I don't really like this, but it must be done. I'll talk to him, distracting him... Just do your job, Erised... Show no mercy as you did to the guard!"  
  
"And," Tuz continued, "I saw that you were fooled by the cloak I bewitched to stay in midair... Look, it is no one inside..." tuz took the cloak from that position. It was, really, an empty cloak... It fooled them. Harry felt a kind of stupid.  
  
But, he could see Tuz's small, thin hands go red... It was time for Erised to strike.  
  
But Harry didn't see all of it, the red light from Tuz's hands merged into a red beam of light that hit him in his chest. That wasn't a pleasure at all. Pain started rushing through his body, he felt almost as bad as the times when he was hit by a Cruciatus...  
  
But it wasn't that bad... He still prefered this instead of being hit by Crucio.  
  
Harry could notice the red light everywhere... The Orb's powers were very strong, Harry could feel them... Some of its energy entered in his body. He could feel it.  
  
From that moment, he closed his eyes, and the last thing he saw was Erised, and he looked stranger than usual, his entire body was colored in red and yellow.  
  
He heard lots of hisses that he translated as pain screams(or hisses), the results of the orb's powers being used, and it was used by a viper, not a human... And he fell unconscious due to the pain and lack of energy left in his body, all of it was consumed by the Orb of the Phoenix. 


	17. Removal

Chapter 17: Removal  
  
"Harry!"  
  
"He moved! Look!"  
  
"He had been unconscious for three days..."  
  
"But he moved!"  
  
"Oh. Harry?"  
  
Harry could hear words from people around him, but his body did not want to move. He couldn't because he was very weak after being hit and drained by the Orb of the Phoenix. Still he wished he was able to answer to the ones around him...  
  
"Harry! Are you awake?"  
  
He was, but he couldn't say it...  
  
"How could I be so stupid? Ennervate!"  
  
But that was of no effect.  
  
"Must be the grounds... They are always preventing weaker wizards from doing complicated spells..."  
  
"Weaker wizard?" Harry started to underatand more than before. He now knew that the voice was Hermione's. She seemed upset because Erised called her a 'weak wizard'.  
  
"No, not what you think..." said Erised. "It is that you are not as strong as others, and you are too young for that. This forest prevents you from doing the spell... Come, allow me."  
  
Harry could hear some strange noises, like a strong wind blowing. Then he felt like floating in midair. It remembered him of Quidditch, riding his Firebolt. But he did not fly with a broom this time, and he felt much better like now. What feelig could it be? He still couldn't open his eyes.  
  
"Erised! What is this?" asked Ron with a very scared voice.  
  
"Oh don't worry. It is nothing..."  
  
"Then why do you do it if it's nothing?"  
  
"Don't annoy me now, or the spell will fail and I am pretty sure that we don't want it to fail..."  
  
At last, the floating feeling was gone. The sound was fading off as well, and no one spoke anything. And he finally did what he was waiting for - he opened his eyes.  
  
He was in the Dark Forest! But how did he get there? Maybe Erised knew a way of getting out of the cave...  
  
Harry looked at the people around him. Erised was, indeed, in the middle of a spell. He looked like he couldn't continue the spell - drained and with no powers. His yellow eyes were closed and one of his fingers was pointing ot Harry. At least, his spell had an effect - it gave Hary some powers.  
  
Harry was lying on the tall grass. It was very dark, the only light was Hermione's wand, which was surely enchanted with the Lumos spell. She was looking at Harry with relief. And that was right, Erised's spell was very close to failure, and after what he said, it could have been very bad.  
  
Only then he started to understand better everything around. He noticed that Erised's skin was completely red... And he fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"E- Erised..." Harry managed to say.  
  
"Harry... Are you alright?" asked Ron, who was still scared.  
  
"I'm fine," said Harry, "But what about Erised?"  
  
No one moved. Erised looked like dead, but how could he die? He was a too strong mage to die. Or was he? Harry didn't know much about the magi... He had only met Erised. He was the only mage he had ever seen, if he didn't consider the mago-wizards, Chalcrad and himself.  
  
"Ennervate!" said Hermione again, pointing to Ersied.  
  
"No, he said it doesn't work..." Harry corrected her. "You are..." But he didn't feel like telling Hermione that she was too weak.  
  
"I am what?" she asked.  
  
"Er," said Harry, thinking. "Y-ou aaare not too... strong to do it." he managed to say.  
  
Hermione didn't look pleased by this answer either. She turned her back, walked a few feet away, and then stopped. "Fine! I am too weak to do it! Then YOU try!" she said angry. Did she forget that Harry did lots of unusual things lately? Was she that angry, to forget who she was talking to?  
  
Harry took his wand and pointed at Erised. He said, "Ennervate!" with a low voice. Nothing happened. Then he tried again, a bit louder, but it didn't do anything either. He thought for a moment... Hermione was likely to use Harry's words against him. He always could do another try, and he yelled, "ENNERVATE!" so loud that Ron pressed his hands to his ears. Hermione didn't look bothered by the yell.  
  
And he did it. The ennervate spell worked, but it was reflected by Erised's body. "No..." said Harry, fearing that Erised could have died. But he had to do something to help. They were in the middle of the Dark forest, apparently lost. Erised seemed to be the only one who could know where they were. And the worst, he turned Hermione angry.  
  
"What will we do now?" he asked angry with himself.  
  
"Well..." said Hermione, confused.  
  
Ron still didn't say a word. He seemed very quiet lately, rarely talking to them... he surely didn't like the adventures they were in. And Harry was the one who caused them to do it. If Voldemort didn't have his blood in his veins they could have been safe. They wouldn't be looking for strange, powerful magical artifacts in strange and dangerous places. But what the hell, he thought, he had to think of other important things, like getting out of the forest. With Erised gone, he still couldn't think of anything...  
  
He knew that Erised was the only one with strong enough magic to get them out. Or was he? He completely forgot that he was a mago-wizard... Pity that he didn't know any mago-wizard spells...  
  
Then it hit him. Someone told him that to do a mago-wizard spell he didn't have to know it. He had to know what spell he wanted ot do - its effect. And with that, anything else was done automatically. And, except teleportation, which he didn't even know the teleportation types, he knew only one thing except it.  
  
Portals.  
  
Portals were created by mago-wizards. He had to try it. And he tried to concentrate... Luckily, he managed to do it, even with all the things that happened recently. He pictured a portal, and he thought about a transporting one. He knew that the portals could do much more than transporting... like killing or cursing. Next he pictured Hogsmeade, and the portal exit inside it. His mind suddenly went blank.  
  
He couldn't remember what he did next. His mind seemed somewhere else. And when he opened his eyes, he completely forgot what he was doing. Why was he in the forest? Oh, he remembered, he was lost. But he couldn't remember what he did after arguing with Hermione.  
  
He saw Hermione and noticed that she was red... though not red like Erised's skin. She was completely red, her clothes, her skin...  
  
"Harry?" she asked.  
  
"Uh - W - What happened? Why are you red?"  
  
"Me? Am I red? Oh, it's just the portal light..."  
  
"Portal?" He still didn't remember. He thought more, concentrated harder to remember anything about portals.  
  
"Yes, the portal you have just opened."  
  
"Oh..." he said, remembering everything. He stood up and saw Erised, who was glowing red... and his redness wasn't given by the portal.  
  
"Ron, Hermione... Let's take Erised and throw him into the portal. Then it will be our turn to go..."  
  
"Where ..." Ron asked.  
  
"Hogsmeade."  
  
He then walked towards Erised and throwed him in the portal. Ron and Hermione immediately stepped inside, too. And after that, Harry was alone in the forest. Something stopped him from entering. What and why?  
  
"Here you are!" he could hear an unusual voice.  
  
He turned back and saw nothing else than Tuz himself.  
  
"I was looking for you. Well... I am here to take the Orb you have stolen! You weren't allowed ot get it and run out! Where is it?"  
  
Harry didn't know... He hadn't seen the orb after he woke in the forest.  
  
"Say it or you will regret that you ever took it away from us!"  
  
"I..." Harry started to say but he was stopped,  
  
"Slytherin took it from you? Don't tell me!"  
  
"No..."  
  
"THEN WHERE IS IT?" Tuz shouted while creating ten-inch long craws on the top of his thin hands. He jumped, ready to kill Harry... "SPIT IT OUT!"  
  
"I don't know..." said Harry while Tuz attacked. Harry's hand moved by instinct, and he stopped the claw from piercing his stomach, but it was planted in his hand. Pain was rushing through him again... It wasn't a long time from the last time he was in horrible pain - it was just when Tuz shot him with the orb's energies in the Temple.  
  
He was blanking out again... It surely was a poisoned claw or he couldn't feel that bad. Physical injuries didn't hurt like that... The scene reminded him of his fight with the basilisk. It was almost the same as this time. He had a poisoned claw planted in his hand... and he was blanking out as the last time... At least there was a bit of hope when he fought with the basilisk. He wished that Fawkes would come again to save him... but how could he.  
  
Tuz was standing on top if Harry while he died in pain... What a terrible death, he thought.  
  
Then he heard some pops. Someone was apparating... If Ron and Hermione reached Hogsmeade and saw that Harry wouldn't come, they would immediately call for help. He had finally thought that he was saved, when his scar started hurting badly. He looked, while his scar was burning and the poison was doing its job, to see who was apparating. And it was his worst fear: Voldemort was in the forest, with a small group of Death Eaters. Would he kill Tuz? Or would he take him as an ally?  
  
He could hear that Voldemort was laughing...  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he said. Did he forget that he couldn't kill Harry? Or did he find a way of dealing with the connection between them?  
  
Harry could hear screams of pain. His eyes were closed for a long time. Tuz fell to the ground. Tuz was Voldemort's target after all, not Harry. Then the pain in his scar stopped.  
  
"Venenum Deffendo!" said Voldemort. Harry started to feel better. But why would Voldemort do that? Harry recognized the spell as an anti-poison one. Harry felt normal again. His scar didn't hurt, even with Voldemort around him... What was happening? Did they use the orb of the phoenix on Voldemort?  
  
"Harry Potter... I am really angry about doing this, but it is a must... How can I be the best wizard of all times without the powers of one mago-wizard in my blood... And I need you alive! I am angry enough because I have lost Erised's powers. I think he died, or else I didn't feel as drained as I am now. Be sure that you were dead if I didn't have your blood inside me..."  
  
Voldemort's cold voice was quite disturbing when it reached someone's ears. It was almost painful... and Harry didn't like it. But if Voldemort doesn't want to kill him, it can't be that bad, he thought.  
  
"But you have to come with me. I sensed a strong magic somewhere around here and..." he paused for a while, turning to the Death Eaters. "Was the Orb of the Phoenix moved from the Viper Caves?"  
  
How could Voldemort know where the Orb of the Phoenix was? The vipers told him that no one knows about the cave. And Voldemort knew even more than that.  
  
"I know that you will use it on me... I am sure of it; why else would you take it? It does nothing good except curing... and taking energy from everything around. Now, Tell me, Harry... Where is it?"  
  
Harry didn't know that, but even if he did, he wouldn't tell Voldemort something like that.  
  
"WHERE IS IT?" he shouted. His Death Eaters were terrified as ever. Anytime, he could cast a crucio on any of them because of anger, needing a little pleasure...  
  
"Crucio!" he said, but his wand wasn't pointed to his Death Eaters. Some of them were relieved when they saw that Harry was his target.  
  
The familiar pain was piercing through him again... he couldn't scream because of it. He only had one thing in mind: a wish to die. He just wanted to die, as everyone who was put under the curse did. And Voldemort wouldn't stop it until Harry told him where the orb was, thing that was impossible because of two things: he didn't know and the pain was preventing him to say anything.  
  
The pain stopped. Voldemort fell to the ground. And he saw exactly why. Erised came by a teleportation spell to them and shot a fire spell to Voldemort's back. The Death Eaters all turned to him. But they were too slow, and maybe scared by their lord. Without him, they were nothing... nothing compared to Erised. He still had a red skin.  
  
He immediately put all the death eaters to rest(they were just unconscious, he couldn't kill that many wizards at once). "Harry, quick!" he said, after shooting some various spells that were meant to kill the Death Eaters - Voldemort seemed to deflect them. Everything was too weak for him.  
  
After he killed some Death Eaters, Harry managed to get near him. "Come back and fight like a... mago-wizard!" said Voldemort with his cold voice.  
  
Harry was sure that Erised wanted to take them to Hogsmeade, but he saw that it wasn't that. He was using a strange spell, directed towards Voldemort. Erised's red skin was turning normal, while a strange red beam errupted from his hands. It was bigger and bigger, and after a moment, it hit Voldemort. That made him go unconscious, and Harry was sure that Erised had the orb of the phoenix's powers inside him... Harry's blood was, at least, removed from Voldemort's body. He was as good as dead now, even if he was a strong wizard before he had mage powers.  
  
"Let's go!" said Erised. He used a strange spell and they were in Hogsmeade... It was time for long explanations, because Harry didn't know many things about what recently happened... 


	18. Relief

Chapter 18: Relief  
  
Erised lead him to the Three Broomsticks, hoping that he would find Dumbledore there. Hogsmeade was as quiet as usual, with no people walking on the street. And they didn't need to find Dumbledore, because he found them. He came out of his old house, with an expression of joy on his face.  
  
"Harry, welcome back!" he said immediately.  
  
"Good morning," Harry replied.  
  
"Morning?" asked Dumbledore, cheery. "It is almost evening!"  
  
Dumbledore was really glad of something. Why could he be like that? Oh, harry thought, he forgot that they had just used the orb of the Phoenix on Voldemort. It was a time of great relief, really. Voldemort had no more mage powers... and without them, he couldn't face the magi and mago-wizards.  
  
"I think you have lots of questions for now," he continued. Erised left without saying a word. Dumbledore gestured with his hand and told Harry to start walking. "because Erised told me that you were unconscious for a big part of time. You have lots of things to know. Just... ask!"  
  
Harry really had lots of questions, but as ever, he didn't know how to start. Should he ask about Erised's red skin? About how they got out of the cave? What happened in the Temple? What spell did Erised try on Harry when he woke up in the forest? The first thing to ask was about the Temple and what happened inside. Erised must have told Dumbledore about that. And, as usual, Dumbledore answered his question even before asking.  
  
"I know that you are curious of what happened back in the Temple... Erised told me everything about it. Everything started when Erised started accumulating the Orb's powers. Tuz, the mage viper, noticed what Erised was doing. He started taking the energy himself, and, being used to its powers, was naturally faster than Erised. He took enough energy from the Orb and shot a beam of energy towards you, hoping that Erised will give up. But he didn't - you fell unconscious and Erised finished taking the orb's energies. He touched the orb, tried some spells and stole all the orb's energy, transporting it in himself. That was why Erised had a red skin. The orb of the phoenix's energies were making him red; he and the orb were as one. Something like what heppened between you and the necklace of the dragonteeth. With all of the energy, he hit Tuz with a strong spell that blanked him out. Then, he teleported you all out of the caves, with a spell that randomly chose its destination. You were brought to the Dark Forest, and neither of you knew where you were. Still, it was better than being in the viper cave, where you were all in a terrible danger. I think you should know what happened next, Harry..."  
  
Harry thought for a moment... everything was normal... everything was explained. He now knew what happened in the temple. But he had one more question...  
  
"Professor," he started, "How long were we gone?"  
  
"Oh, Harry... I think it was about a week. I think time passes faster in the Viper Caves than here. Maybe they were bored of the time passing so slow and casted a charm on the cave... It is not good to play with time but they afforded... because they never got out. It was their home and they didn't want, for everything in the world, to leave their caves."  
  
Then, they were stopped by a familiar sound... and he thought for a moment. He realized what it was, and that made him really confused. It was the familiar noise done by the Hogwarts Express... But why on the world would it come?  
  
Well, he thought, it could bring some wizards to celebrate everything... but they wouldn't come with the Hogwarts express. But before asking about that, he had one more question that kept bothering him...  
  
"Professor, there is only one more thing."  
  
"And that is?" he asked.  
  
"The vipers told me that I am the Heir of Gryffindor..."  
  
"Oh, no one knows better than they do. I am sure they are right about that. I do not have any idea about it, but if they said it... then it is true." He had noticed his attention for the sound. "And, that is right, the Hogwarts Express is here. In the week when you were gone, we have started to repair the castle. School starts tomorrow. I think you would like to see your friends, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Yes, professor." said Harry and he ran to the train station. But he stopped. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"  
  
"They are already at the station, waiting for other students."  
  
Harry started running again, eager to see the Hogwarts castle repaired. And he was eager to see the other students... his mind immediately flew to Cho. She really was the only girl he ever liked. With that thought in his head, he continued running hoping to see her.  
  
he reached the station really fast. Lots of students were coming out of the Hogwarts Express. It was really weird to see the stunents coming to school in the early december. Soon they will have the christmas holiday...  
  
And they were there. He walked to the crowd, hoping to meet somebody who he knew... Everyone was looking at him. He had, again, done things that made him even more famous than he was before. It seemed like he had defeated Voldemort... though he didn't. He had again the terrible feeling he had in his first year when everyone was pointing fingers at him and trying to find his scar. He saw Hermione and Ron, who were looking around trying to find him.  
  
"Harry!" said Fred, who came out of the crowd.  
  
"Hello Fred." He looked around a bit, "Where's George?"  
  
"Oh. He had a terrible accident... But he will be here soon."  
  
"What... accident?" asked Harry. He didn't want to think what happened to George...  
  
"He got blown up by one of our new - er... inventions," said Fred.  
  
"Oh." said Harry.  
  
"Bye now, I got to go..." said Fred while running away. He seemed to forget something.  
  
Harry saw that the people around him stopped gazing at him. Ron and Hermione saw him and started moving to him. But he was looking to see someone who he didn't see yet and he really wanted to see - Cho.  
  
"Harry!" said Hermione.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Ron.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Stop, stop!" said Harry to stop them. Then he had to explain everything they didn't know. He told them about Tuz, Voldemort healing him, then about what Dumbledore said.  
  
"So, after all," said Ron, "it was good for You-Know-Who if he killed you from the beginning! He had lost your blood anyway. Lucky that he was stupid."  
  
"It was an unexpected thing, Ron!" said Hermione. "How could he know what would happen? You-Know-Who -"  
  
"I am sick of this!" said Harry. "Can't you ever learn to speak his name properly?" He shut both Ron and Hermione up with that. "Try it! Repeat after me! Vol," but they didn't say anything. "Oh I should give up!" he said a little annoyed.  
  
Then everyone went to the carriages that passed the lake and they entered the castle. Harry noticed that some parts were different from how they were before being destroyed. It still looked as usual, even with some paitings gone. They all went to the Great Hall. Dumbledore was already there. How could he get there so fast? He was in Hogsmeade before... But it didn't matter. He had to enjoy that he was at Hogwarts again...  
  
When everyone was in the Great Hall, Dumbledore started a speech. Everyone was quiet and listening to him.  
  
"Welcome," he started, "back to Hogwarts!"  
  
"After the latest events, I am pleased to tell you that what we all feared is almost gone. Lord Voldemort, who was using Harry Potter's energies and powers in order ot cast various strong spells, is now a simple wizard. He had Harry Potter's blood inside nim. But now it is gone. The blood he stole was eliminated after a long series of adventures that three of our students had."  
  
"Being the middle of a school term, I have to award some points. Firstly, I will give fifty points to Hermione Granger, for being a good friend and helping at need."  
  
"Second, Mr. Ronald Weasley, I award another fifty points for all his adventures with Harry Potter."  
  
"And third, I award... one hundred points to Harry Potter, for pure courage and bravery, while exploring dangerous places to fight the Dark Side."  
  
"This had to be done. Now, we should consider this a beginning of a new year. Let the Feast begin!"  
  
The silence in the Great Hall was broken by the students' voices. Everyone started talking about the recent events. The Gryffindors were as cheery as possible, after winning 200 house points that assured their win of the house cup, even if there was another half of an year left...  
  
Harry, while enjoying the feast, caught a sight of Cho, at the Ravenclaw table. She was celebrating, as everyone except the slythering. But he didn't have time to look at her, every gryffindor wanted to tell Harry something.  
  
After a long time, everyone went to their common room. Harry wanted only one thing - to get a sleep. He didn't sleep for quite a long time. Only when he had been unconscious... And he was sure that Ron and Hermione needed to sleep, too. He didn't stay in the Gryffindor Common Room at all. He went directly to the bedroom. Ron came in after two minutes.  
  
"hello, Ron." said Harry.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Want to sleep?"  
  
"Yea. Havent slept for a week."  
  
"Me too. I think this is just what we need. Now I just hope Voldemort will be gone... forever."  
  
"He isn't."  
  
"I know, Ron, but... with all the magi and mago-wizards around... he is nothing. Good night."  
  
"Good night..." said Ron, before falling asleep.  
  
Harry was waiting to see what would happen in the future. He had thought again about Cho. He didn't know how could he forget about her while Hogwarts was closed. Now he couldn't take his mind off her...  
  
  
THE END!!!!!  
  
[A/N: I firstly decided to do a sequel to this story, something with Cho, but I decided to not continue this and write another fic It will be avalabile later, the first chapter will be out soon(max. 2 weeks, let's say). It has to be a much better fic than this is, but sometimes I feel I have to continue this. But there is no action I have in mind considering what I did... Voldemort should be still strong, but weaker. I have to admit that I don't like how I modified the magic in the normal books by adding magi... And that doesn't sound too good. The magi don't fit in the HP universe. That's mainly why I won't do a sequel to this.  
  
And I will make a sequel if I will have some reviews that will request it!!! Reviews give me self-confidence :) Of course, not all stupid reviews... If you saw what kind of Reviews I give, you will understand. I usually say everything - I start with the bad things or wrong ones, then I usually go to the good parts.  
  
If I will make a sequel, I will update this fic and put in the 1st chapter its name and link. But don't expect it too much, low chance...] 


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